Putin plans to introduce 'ministry of sex' amid drooping birth rate; Take a look at proposed initiatives

By Gargi Chaudhry | First Published Nov 10, 2024, 7:08 PM IST

Facing a declining birth rate exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, Russia is exploring unconventional solutions, including a proposed "ministry of sex." These range from internet curfews to financial incentives for dates, weddings, and even "sex-at-work" programs.

Russia is reportedly considering the establishment of a "ministry of sex" in a bid to combat the nation’s declining birth rate. According to Mirror, a petition calling for such a ministry is being considered by Nina Ostanina, 68, a fervent admirer of Vladimir Putin and the head of the Russian Parliament's Committee on Family Protection.

The initiative represents Russian authorities' attempts to comply with Putin's order to reverse the nation's demographic decline, which has been made worse by the protracted conflict in Ukraine, which is already in its third year and has claimed a substantial number of lives.

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Various unconventional ideas have been proposed to encourage higher birth rates. One suggestion involves turning off the internet and even the lights between 10 pm and 2 am to encourage couples to spend intimate time together, as reported by Mirror. Another proposal includes paying stay-at-home mothers for housework, with these payments contributing towards their pension entitlements.

In an effort to promote the development of partnerships, the government is also thinking of providing up to 5,000 roubles (about £40) for couples' first dates. In order to promote pregnancies, it has even been proposed that public money be used to pay for wedding-night hotel accommodations up to 26,300 roubles (about £208).

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Dr. Yevgeny Shestopalov, the regional health minister, has urged Russians to adopt the "sex-at-work" program, which proposes having children during coffee and lunch breaks. However, in Moscow, the state has been intruding into the sex lives of women and forcing them to have more babies.

The female public sector workers are being asked intimate questions regarding sex and menstruation and if they are refusing to answer them, they are being asked to go to doctors.

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