Russia considers 'ministry of sex' to address falling birth rate
What's the story
In a bid to address its declining birth rate, which has been exacerbated by wartime casualties in Ukraine, Russia is mulling the creation of a "ministry of sex."
The proposal is under consideration by President Vladimir Putin loyalist Nina Ostanina, chairwoman of the Russian Parliament's Committee on Family Protection, Paternity, Maternity, and Childhood, Mirror reported.
The idea was first proposed in a petition organized by GlavPR agency and reported by Moskvich magazine.
Unconventional strategies
Proposed measures include internet shutdowns and financial incentives
Among the proposed measures to encourage higher birth rates is a nightly internet and lights shutdown from 10:00pm to 2:00am.
The government is also considering financial incentives like paying stay-at-home mothers for housework, with the earnings going toward their pensions.
Other monetary proposals include funding first dates up to 5,000 roubles (£40) and covering wedding-night hotel stays for couples up to 26,300 roubles (£208) hoping to stimulate pregnancies.
Local efforts
Regional initiatives and workplace procreation suggestions
Apart from national strategies, several regions in Russia are also taking their own steps to increase birth rates.
In Khabarovsk, female students aged 18 to 23 can get £900 for having a child, while Chelyabinsk offers £8,500 for a first-born.
Yevgeny Shestopalov, a regional health minister, has even suggested Russians use coffee and lunch breaks at work for "procreation," saying, "You can engage in procreation during breaks because life flies by too quickly."
Personal inquiries
Moscow authorities probe women's reproductive health
In Moscow, authorities are prying into women's personal lives with detailed questionnaires about their sexual and reproductive health.
Those who fail to respond are called to doctor's appointments where they are asked the same questions.
The questionnaire asks about when the woman became sexually active, contraceptive use, pain during intercourse, infertility, and pregnancy history.
Separately, a free fertility testing program was launched in Moscow, with 20,000 women participating thus far.