“Childfree propaganda is a socially dangerous phenomenon. The Americans are promoting this. Our country is vast and their [U.S.] ideology is dangerous. Under no circumstances should it be allowed to spread.”
These were the words of Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, as he
justified proposed legislation imposing heavy fines on what the authorities see as the destructive promotion of “childfree ideology.”
But experts argue that this
legislation, which is currently under review by lawmakers and passed its first reading on Thursday, is “repressive” and fails to address the root issues behind the country’s flagging birth rates.
Since launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities have ramped up their efforts to promote so-called traditional values and family-oriented ideals, contrasting Russia with the more liberal West ...
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