Vladimir Putin has urged Russian citizens to engage in procreation during work hours in an effort to address the country’s declining birth rate, according to a report from Metro. The Russian president has proposed that employees use their lunch and coffee breaks for intimate encounters to boost the nation’s population, which is suffering from a fertility rate of just 1.5 children per woman—significantly below the 2.1 rate required to maintain population stability.
“The preservation of the Russian people is our highest national priority,” Putin said, adding, “The fate of Russia depends on how many of us there will be. It is a question of national importance”, as reported by Metro. Health Minister Dr Yevgeny Shestopalov echoed Putin’s sentiments, dismissing work as an excuse for not having children. “Being very busy at work is not a valid reason, but a lame excuse. You can engage in procreation during breaks because life flies by too quickly,” he remarked when questioned about how busy workers could find time to have children.
This initiative is just one of the many efforts by the Kremlin to boost Russia’s birth rate. Women aged 18 to 40 in Moscow have been encouraged to undergo free fertility assessments to evaluate their reproductive health.
Tatyana Butskaya, a Member of Parliament, has outlined a plan for employers to monitor and encourage childbirth among their staff. Each employer should look at their workplace: What is your birth rate? Do you have one more child this year from each person who can give birth?” she proposed, emphasising that regional governors should also be accountable for the birth rates in their areas.
In Chelyabinsk, young women under the age of 24 are being offered £8,500 for giving birth to their first child, while access to abortion is becoming increasingly restricted. Public figures and religious leaders have argued that it is a woman’s duty to have and raise children, with divorce fees also rising as part of the government’s efforts to promote family growth.Politicians such as Anna Kuznetsova and Zhanna Ryabtseva have also encouraged women to start having children at a younger age.
“You should start giving birth at 19-20 years old. Then, statistically, the family will be able to have three, four, or more children,” said Kuznetsova, while Ryabtseva added, “Give birth, give birth and give birth again”, Metro reported.
Despite advocating for a higher birth rate, Putin has never publicly disclosed the exact number of his own children. Officially, he has two daughters, Maria Vorontsova, 39, and Katerina Tikhonova, 37, from his marriage to Lyudmila Putina.
Source: Indianexpress
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