Russia is facing a demographic crisis. Experts point out that to maintain stable development, the country's birth rate needs to reach at least 2.1 children per woman. However, the current rate is only 1.37 children per woman. The director of the Berlin Institute of Population and Development, Katharina Hinz, notes that the desire to have children is generally declining and suggests offering incentives to those who want to have children instead of punishing those who do not. In Russia, women are under immense pressure to have children. With the decline in birth rates, the 'battle for wombs' in the world's largest country by area is becoming increasingly desperate. As part of new initiatives, if women, during preventive check-ups related to reproductive health, answer a doctor's question about how many children they want to have given their current life circumstances with 'I do not want to have a child,' they will be offered 'assistance' from a psychologist. The Ministry of Health states that the goal of this measure is to prevent abortions and promote a 'positive' attitude towards motherhood. This initiative is criticized for turning a woman from a free individual into merely a tool for improving the demographic situation. Scientist Alexey Raksha accuses officials of 'complete impotence' and ignoring expert advice. He believes that current measures, such as payments to female students, are ineffective, and more serious funding is needed to continuously raise the birth rate. Despite the official permission for abortions, this topic remains a subject of heated public debate. The Russian government, even during wartime, continues to call on citizens to give birth to a 'new generation.' President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly described increasing the birth rate as 'the most pressing task,' concerning the very existence of Russia. The Church and the state are actively promoting the idea of large families, while women face pressure to have children as early as possible. Experts and human rights defenders, including members of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, criticize these measures, calling them 'coercion of will' and a violation of personal rights.
