pro-natalist legislators #forced-birth #sexist #wingnut fidh.org
Russia: Ban on "propaganda" in favor of childfree lifestyles
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Paris, 14 November 2024. [...] Two days ago the Duma unanimously passed a bill banning the dissemination of neutral or positive information about being childfree on the Internet, in the media, films, and advertisements.
This law still needs to be approved by the upper house before being sent to [...] Putin for final approval. It includes [...] penalties, which can reach up to 400,000 rubles for individuals (around $4,200) and 5 million rubles for companies (nearly $50,000). There is also the risk of administrative arrest and deportation for non-Russian citizens.
[...] The regime [...] exalts motherhood as a fundamental cornerstone of national policy. In 2020, Russian authorities made significant revisions to the Constitution, notably adding Article 67, which states that "children are the most important priority of Russian state policy."
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The year 2024 has been declared in Russia as the "Year of the Family." This [is] an opportunity to adopt measures aimed at "strengthening marriage and traditional values." Divorce fees have been increased eightfold, laws have been passed prohibiting "incitement to abortion" and [...] private clinics in certain regions are now refusing to perform voluntary abortions.
The newly passed law bans the dissemination of information about the "childfree" movement [...] According to Valentina Matvienko, Chairwoman of [...] the upper house of Parliament, "this movement does not align with the current expectations of women" and "must be legally prohibited."
Once the law comes into effect, Russian citizens will no longer be allowed to say or write anything that promotes a "positive image of childlessness and the conscious choice not to have children, unless this choice is related to medical contraindications."
[...] The stated goal is to [...] fight against a West deemed "decadent" and [...] control women’s bodies.
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