Russia is exploring the formation of a “ministry of sex” to address its troublingly low birth rate, according to reports. The proposal is currently being reviewed by Nina Ostanina, who is a long-standing loyalist of President Vladimir Putin and the chairwoman of the Russian Parliament’s Committee on Family Protection, Paternity, Maternity, and Childhood. It aligns with President Putin’s strategic push to reverse Russia’s declining population, a challenge worsened by both the war in Ukraine and shifting demographics.
The idea was introduced through a petition submitted by the PR firm GlavPR. The envisioned “ministry of sex” would focus on increasing Russia’s birth rate by creating and implementing policies designed to boost family expansion. As magazine reported, this concept underscores the Kremlin’s efforts to counter Russia’s population decline, a problem Putin recently spotlighted as an urgent national priority.
In response, Moscow’s Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova, another Putin ally, expressed faith in the Kremlin’s message by emphasizing the importance of childbirth. Rakova described the measures being taken to evaluate women’s fertility, underscoring that officials are keen on helping women and families achieve larger family units to counterbalance the demographic crisis.
Russian authorities are considering a variety of measures to encourage family growth, including both financial incentives and creative policies aimed at supporting new families. Here are some of the unique ideas under consideration:
- Encouraging ‘Intimate Hours’: A proposal suggests temporarily cutting off internet access and dimming lights from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., effectively creating a “no-distraction” period meant to encourage intimacy between couples.
- Paid Housework for Stay-at-Home Mothers: The government is considering compensating stay-at-home mothers for domestic work, with payments contributing towards their retirement funds.
- Funding for First Dates: To foster relationships, the state may subsidize first dates, offering up to 5,000 rubles (around £40) for couples to connect and consider family life.
- Wedding Night Subsidies: Newlywed couples may receive up to 26,300 rubles (£208) from public funds to cover hotel accommodations for their wedding night, with the aim of encouraging pregnancies soon after marriage.
Regional Birth Incentives
In some regions, incentives are already in place. For instance, in Khabarovsk, women aged 18 to 23 can receive financial support of £900 if they have a child, while in Chelyabinsk, the reward increases to £8,500 for a first-born. These regional policies reflect a growing trend across Russia of offering substantial support to young parents in hopes of reversing the birth rate decline.
Yevgeny Shestopalov, a regional health minister, even advocated for using coffee and lunch breaks at work as opportunities for “procreation,” arguing, “Life flies by too quickly,” and encouraging people to prioritize family.
Increased Data Collection On Women’s Personal Lives
In Moscow, authorities are taking a more direct approach by investigating women’s reproductive health and family plans. Female employees in public sectors are being asked to complete detailed questionnaires about their sexual health, reproductive history, and family goals. These questions include deeply personal topics such as:
- When they began sexual activity
- Whether they use contraceptives or birth control
- Experiences with infertility or past pregnancies
- Plans for having children within the next year
Women who opt not to respond to these questionnaires are often required to meet with state health professionals to answer the questions in person. This data collection effort appears to be a strategic move to better understand the reproductive landscape in Russia and identify potential areas for increased government support.
Despite the personal nature of these questions, authorities argue that the information is essential to implement targeted policies for increasing the birth rate.
On the other hand, Moscow has also introduced a free fertility testing program, which has already been taken up by around 20,000 women. The program seeks to identify any potential health concerns that could hinder family growth and offer women the resources needed to address them.
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