Putin Encourages Intimacy During Work Breaks to Combat Russia's Declining Birth Rate

In an unusual attempt to stop Russia's falling birth rate, President Vladimir Putin has asked people to think about having sexual relations during their breaks at work. The country is having a hard time with a low birth rate of about 1.5 children per woman, which is a lot less than the 2.1 children per woman that is needed to keep the population stable. Russia is going through one of its worst demographic problems in decades, and the government is taking a number of steps to deal with it.

The alarmingly low birth rate in Russia has hit its lowest point since 1999. The number of live births dropped sharply from previous years to less than 100,000 in June 2024, according to official records. There were 16,000 fewer births in the first half of 2024 than in the same time period in 2023. A troubling 18% rise in deaths—49,000 more than the previous year—is added to this sharp drop in births. This is mostly due to the ongoing war with Ukraine.

Because of the population loss, Putin has stressed the need for a national effort to increase the number of people living in the country. He has said that raising the birth rate is important for the survival of the country. Russia's population problems are being talked about in Putin's latest plan, which includes telling people to use their lunch and coffee breaks to help this problem. Putin wants to make the society more family-oriented, even though people are busy at work, by suggesting that intimate activities could be a part of these breaks.

Health Minister Dr. Yevgeny Shestopalov has backed this plan and said that busy work hours don't get in the way of family life. Shestopalov said that workers could do things like start families or grow existing ones during breaks. In a recent interview, he emphasised this point again and told people to make family planning a priority during breaks at work. Different people have different opinions about this plan. Some like the creative idea, while others think it's unrealistic and too invasive.

To fight the falling birth rate even more, the Kremlin has put in place a number of steps to help. Some of these ideas are giving women ages 18 to 40 free fertility checks, giving young mothers money to help them, and putting pressure on employers to urge people to plan their families. Some areas have even started giving cash rewards to first-time moms, which shows that the government is serious about changing the demographic trend. In order to discourage separations and promote family stability, limits on abortion have been tightened and divorce fees have gone up. Democrats like Anna Kuznetsova have pushed for women to have kids at younger ages so that families are bigger and the country's population is better off.

These steps are part of a bigger plan to deal with the sharp drop in population that the war with Ukraine is making worse. Over a million Russians, mostly young people, have left their homes because of the war, which has put even more pressure on the country's population structure. Because of this, Russia's population keeps going down, making it even more important for successful interventions to happen soon.

The Kremlin's comprehensive plan to stop the drop in birth rates shows how serious the problem is and how committed the government is to keeping the population stable. It's still too early to tell if Putin's idea to include sexual activity during work breaks will have a big effect. Still, the variety of policies put in place shows that the government is determined to deal with one of Russia's most important problems right now.

Russia is facing a population problem, and the success of these programs will likely have a big impact on the country's future. In the coming months, it will be very important to see if these strategies can successfully fight the trends that have caused the birth rate to drop so dramatically.

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