'Give birth to healthy baby, take $1,100': Russia's Karelia region announces policy for young females
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The Russian authorities in the republic of Karelia, a region in the country'snorthwest, have announced a childbirth incentivisation policy for its female college students. Regional lawmakers have announced that females from local universities or colleges, under the age of 25, will be paid 100,000 rubles ($1,100) for giving birth to a healthy baby. The law, which comes into effect from January 1 next year, aims at shoring up the sinking fertility rate in Russia.
Efforts to boost birth rates
This is in line with several steps taken by the Russian government and otherregions in Russiato boost birth rates, especially against the backdrop of the reportedhigh casualties in the Ukraine war and the young workforce abandoning the country fearing forced mobilisation.
As per a report in Moscow Times, the Russian government is also exploring imposing a ban on contraceptives such as condoms. This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin has already urged people to consider a family of three or more children as the "norm".
Putin's appeal to Russian women
In December last year, Putin reportedly urged Russian women to give birth to as many as eight children and make it a “norm” to create large families.
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"Many of our ethnic groups have preserved the tradition of having strong multigenerational families with four, five, or even more children. Let us remember that Russian families, many of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers had seven, eight, or even more children," said Putin, while addressing the World Russian People's Council in Moscow.
Concerns about the law
Many believe the law may do little to boost the country’s flagging birth rates due to a lack of economic security for women and protection.
Watch:PM Modi discusses Russia-Ukraine war & West Asia crisis
The law also clarifies that the bonus is unavailable to women giving birth to a stillborn child. Also, it is not clear whether women giving birth to a child with a disability would be eligible for payment or not.
The government has also put little emphasis on improving women's quality of life while decriminalising first-time domestic violence offences.
(With inputs from agencies)