Mon Sep 23 21:22:44 UTC 2024: ## Russia Backs Bill Targeting “Child-Free” Propaganda, Raising Concerns

**Moscow, Russia:** The Russian government has expressed “in principle” support for a new bill that aims to outlaw the promotion of “child-free ideology” in the country. The legislation, expected to be introduced in the State Duma on Tuesday, proposes administrative fines for individuals and organizations spreading such content through media, movies, advertising, and the internet.

The bill defines “child-free ideology” as the “refusal to have children,” a definition the government acknowledges needs further clarification to avoid penalizing individuals with religious or medical reasons for choosing not to have children. Victims of rape, the government stressed, must also be protected.

The bill’s sponsor, senior MP Elvira Aitkulova, clarified that the legislation targets the dissemination of propaganda promoting a childless lifestyle, rather than individual choices. “It is not about the right of everyone to choose in such personal matters, but about the effort to convince others, especially minors, of the superiority of a childless lifestyle,” she stated.

The initiative has received backing from Valentina Matvienko, speaker of the Federation Council, who criticized “modern feminism” and the “child-free movement” as examples of “degenerated and radicalized” behavior that should be banned in Russia.

While the government’s support for the bill is seen as a sign of its growing concern over the perceived threat of child-free ideology, the legislation has drawn criticism for its potential to stifle freedom of expression and discriminate against individuals with personal or medical reasons for not having children.

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