Vladimir Putin
Facing a continuous decline in population and a sharp drop in birth rates, Russia has introduced several measures to tackle the issue. In a rather controversial move, the country is now encouraging its citizens to use their work breaks for intimate activities.
Health Minister Dr. Yevgeny Shestopalov suggested that office workers take advantage of lunch and coffee breaks to engage in intimate relations. His statement comes as Russia’s fertility rate plummets from 2.1 to around 1.5 children per woman, a problem that has worsened since the war with Ukraine, leading many young Russians to migrate.
Vladimir Putin’s Strategy to increase Birth Rate
Dr. Shestopalov emphasized that busy work schedules should not deter people from having children. According to a Metro report, he proposed that with the fast pace of modern life, office breaks can be an opportunity for people to have intimate relationships. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also stressed that protecting the Russian population remains a top priority for the nation.
Russia’s birth rate has recently dropped to its lowest point since 1999, worsened by an 18 percent rise in deaths, partly due to the ongoing Ukraine conflict. The Kremlin has enacted several policies to try to boost the birth rate. Among these are offering free fertility tests to women aged 18-40 in Moscow and proposing incentives for employers to help women employees start families.
In addition to these measures, access to abortion services has been restricted, and divorce fees have been increased to discourage separations among couples. Russian politician Anna Kuznetsova has also advocated that women should begin having children between the ages of 19 and 20 to expand their families.
These steps reflect Russia’s efforts to reverse its population decline, which has become a growing concern for the country’s leadership. However, the effectiveness and social impact of such measures remain to be seen.
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