The Russian government on Monday backed “in principle” proposed legislation to outlaw propaganda that validates not having children, and to introduce administrative fines for its dissemination.
The legislation envisions restrictions on spreading “child-free ideology” through media, movies, advertising, and the internet. The draft bill defines it as the “refusal to have children” and provides for fines on those who promote such ideas.
While the government expressed support for the initiative “in principle,” it urged Russian legislators to further refine the bill. Specifically, it stated that the definition of the ideology as the “refusal to have children” must be clarified to ensure it doesn’t affect individuals whose “refusal” is motivated by religious beliefs or medical conditions. Victims of rape must be protected as well, the government stressed.
The legislation is expected to be introduced on Tuesday in the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, the State Duma. One of the bill’s sponsors, senior MP and member of the Duma’s education committee, Elvira Aitkulova, explained that the bill is designed to tackle the dissemination of child-free propaganda only, rather than personal lifestyle choices.
I’m pretty sure one of my parents wouldn’t have had kids if he’d fully realized it was a choice. Let me tell you, growing up with such a parent isn’t great. I don’t know how they justify this to the public.
There are definitely people who made terrible parents and part of that was the fact that they just did not have any real desire to be parents. That is highly problematic, of course, but the article does say that this is not about forcing kids on those who do not want them but rather it is about preventing anti-natalist ideologies to take root.
Of course, I think they will be promoting fertility actively and go further than what is just in the article. If they didn’t, it’d not have much of an impact.
In general, I think that society should encourage fertility and a parental disposition for all people. Not to force it on anyone, but to promote good values and maybe have that positive impact, right…
Like society should promote racial tolerance & actively esteem women. Not because this will actually eliminate racism or gender discrimination, but because it will have some amount of an impact on bringing our society towards where we want it to be.