Russia Mulls ‘Ministry Of Sex’, State-Sponsored Dating Incentives To Combat Declining Birth Rates: Reports

The Ministry of Sex also recommends covering expenses for first dates, up to £40, and offering public funding of up to £208 for couples’ wedding nights at hotels, hoping to boost pregnancies.

File photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Source : PTI

Russia is reportedly considering the creation of a ‘Ministry of Sex’ in an attempt to counter the declining libido and birth rates of the nation. The demographic crisis has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, which has seen over 600,000 Russian soldiers lose their lives.

Putin's officials continue to propose various strategies to combat falling birth rates, but some Russian women have openly criticised these measures. One suggestion involves turning off the Internet—and even lights—from 10 pm to 2 am to encourage intimacy among couples. Another unusual idea proposes state-paid compensation for stay-at-home women raising children for doing housework, potentially adding this to their pensions.

According to a report by the Sun News, the Ministry of Sex also recommends covering expenses for first dates, up to £40, and offering public funding of up to £208 for couples’ wedding nights at hotels, hoping to boost pregnancies. This plan was highlighted in a petition organised by the GlavPR agency, reported by Moskvich magazine, though the origin of the proposal remains unclear.

Meanwhile, regional authorities are crafting their incentives to encourage childbearing. In Khabarovsk, female students aged 18 to 23 can receive £900 upon the birth of a child, while Chelyabinsk offers £8,500 to students for their first child.

In an even more unconventional approach, a regional health minister has suggested that Russians use breaks at work to procreate. Yevgeny Shestopalov, defending the initiative, said, “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."

Moscow Is Addressing Birth Rate Through Invasive Questionnaires

Moscow is addressing its falling birth rate by delving into women’s private lives through invasive questionnaires. Female public sector employees have been sent detailed questions about their sexual history and menstrual cycles, with those refusing to respond ordered to attend mandatory doctor appointments where similar personal questions are asked.

These questionnaires, which aren’t unknown, ask questions about sexual activity onset, contraceptive use, and sexually transmitted diseases. Women working in state-run cultural institutions around Moscow were reportedly outraged at being required to submit this information to HR departments.

According to Caution News, one woman said, "We submitted blank [questionnaires], and they told us to write in our full name. So we wrote [names], but did not fill out the questionnaires."

Meanwhile, Moscow is offering women free fertility tests, with over 20,000 already completed. Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova, a supporter of Kremlin policies, publicly urged women to prioritise motherhood after initial results suggested many should focus on pregnancy sooner rather than later.

"Everyone in the city knows that there is a special test which allows us to establish the fertility level of a woman, her ability to get pregnant. The first results based on the [initial] 20,000 batch suggests that, unfortunately, quite a significant number of women of different ages need to abandon all things important to them now - and get on with the main goal, the main goal of any woman, to [get pregnant and] become a mother, "she said.

But, the Kremlin has dismissed claims that the hardships caused by Putin’s war, including the toll on family life and declining living standards, contribute to hesitancy around starting families.

In reality, the war has resulted in over 600,000 Russian soldiers dead or injured and led over one million young Russians to emigrate. Many families remain separated, with fathers and husbands absent due to military service, and the war’s uncertainties have made young couples reluctant to have children.