In a move aimed at addressing Russia’s demographic decline, Russian lawmakers on Tuesday passed a controversial bill banning what they describe as “propaganda” against childbearing. This legislation, seen as part of a broader crackdown on Western liberal values, is the latest effort by Moscow to combat declining birth rates in a country grappling with an aging population and the impacts of its prolonged military involvement in Ukraine.
The bill, unanimously approved by members of Russia’s State Duma, prohibits content in media, advertising, and online platforms that promotes choosing not to have children. Violators could face fines up to 400,000 rubles (approximately $4,000) for individuals and five million rubles for organizations. Foreign nationals found guilty of spreading such content risk deportation under the new law.
Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin highlighted the significance of the legislation, describing it as essential for Russia’s future. “This is a fateful law…Without children, there will be no country,” Volodin said, adding that the law aims to protect citizens, especially younger generations, from messages that discourage family-building and “negatively affect the development of personality.” He framed the legislation as a measure to promote traditional family values among Russian youth.
The bill’s sponsors have indicated that it targets only content that promotes a “conscious rejection of childbearing,” not individuals making personal lifestyle choices. However, the bill leaves ambiguity over how authorities will draw the line between private choices and content deemed as propaganda, sparking concerns over enforcement and potential overreach.
This latest legislative effort aligns with a series of restrictive laws Russia has enacted to limit Western-influenced ideas on personal and family life. Over recent years, Moscow has increasingly cast itself as a defender of traditional values against what it perceives as the liberal, “destructive” ideologies of the West. This trend intensified following the 2022 Ukraine conflict, as Russia has accelerated efforts to insulate itself from Western cultural and social influences.
In addition to targeting anti-childbearing messages, the State Duma also passed a law prohibiting adoption by foreign nationals from countries that allow gender reassignment. This legislation seeks to prevent Russian children from being adopted into environments where gender changes are permitted by law. Duma speaker Volodin, referencing the recent measure, expressed concerns about foreign policies on children, calling Western approaches to youth “destructive.”
This is not the first time Russia has taken steps to restrict foreign adoptions. In 2012, Moscow banned U.S. citizens from adopting Russian children following the death of a Russian toddler in an American adoptive household. Since 1993, a total of 102,403 Russian children have been adopted by foreign nationals, according to government figures.
Russia has already implemented laws targeting the LGBTQ community, including a 2023 ruling labeling the international LGBTQ movement as “extremist” and making gender reassignment illegal. Russian President Vladimir Putin has often ridiculed LGBTQ individuals and those who undergo gender reassignment, and the latest measures further entrench these views in national policy.
The legislation is set to be reviewed by Russia’s upper house on November 20 and will likely reach President Putin’s desk shortly after, where it is expected to be signed into law.
