The article discusses the new law in Russia that makes it a crime to promote “childfree propaganda,” which has sparked concerns about its potential impact on freedom of speech and the rights of women. The law, which was passed by the Russian parliament in September, aims to punish people who spread information or ideas that encourage couples not to have children.
The article notes that pro-natalist laws can be used to pressure or punish those who do not conform to the state’s vision of what a family should be, and that the law could be used to target feminist activists who oppose Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The author also suggests that the law may impede sex education for teenagers, leading to an increase in unwanted pregnancies and illegal abortions.
Moreover, the article highlights how this law is part of a broader trend by the Kremlin to promote socially conservative values as part of its soft power strategy. By positioning itself as a bastion against what it sees as degenerating “liberal West,” Russia is trying to create common ground with countries in the global south that share similarly conservative views.
The article concludes that this rhetoric and policy are being used by Moscow to gain support for its own goals, including the invasion of Ukraine. Russian officials have repeatedly spoken about the need to “save” Ukraine from liberal Western values and bring it back under Russian control.
Some key points from the article include:
* The new law in Russia makes it a crime to promote “childfree propaganda,” which has sparked concerns about freedom of speech and women’s rights.
* Pro-natalist laws can be used to pressure or punish those who do not conform to the state’s vision of what a family should be.
* The law may impede sex education for teenagers, leading to an increase in unwanted pregnancies and illegal abortions.
* The Kremlin is using socially conservative rhetoric as part of its soft power strategy to create common ground with countries that share similarly conservative views.
* This rhetoric and policy are being used by Moscow to gain support for its own goals, including the invasion of Ukraine.
Overall, the article provides a nuanced analysis of how Russia’s laws and policies on family and women’s rights are intertwined with its broader foreign policy objectives.