March 18, 2025

"How Are You, Still Haven´t Given Birth Yet?"


"How Are You, Still Haven´t Given Birth Yet?"
A pregnant woman stands in front of a window. The Russian Life files.

On March 13, Moscovites were presented with a giant pink road sign that read, "How are you, still haven't given birth yet?" The Moscow Department of Health's latest campaign started at a time when Russia is not only facing a demographic crisis, but also cracking down on reproductive rights.

In the pink ad, the word rodila (gave birth) appears with the "o" in the shape of a heart, but the campaign is far from a friendly invitation. According to Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, the birthrate in Russia is at a "terribly low level," with 1.4 births per woman. This is comparable to Japan and many European countries. Casualties in the invasion of Ukraine and the emigration of Russians have further fueled the demographic crisis. Peskov said that the way to solve this problem was to "increase the average birth rate." In other words, to urge women to give birth.

It's not the first time the government has incentivized women to give birth. In 2019, the show "Pregnant at 16" was aired on official state television. It was a copy of the American reality TV show "16 and Pregnant," and aimed at encouraging teens to "make the right choice" and keep their pregnancies.

Russian officials have also targeted abortion. Since August 2024, it has been illegal to buy abortion-inducing pills without a prescription. The Chairpairson of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko, said that doctors that dissuaded patients from getting an abortion would be awarded bonuses. Meanwhile, the Ryazan Regional Duma proposed a law that would fine doctors who "induced" abortion. Therefore, any healthcare provider who mentioned any way to end a pregnancy would be penalized.

While Russia pushes for its women to give birth, the cost of living index has not gotten better. Food prices have increased by over 50 percent. The maximum benefits a woman can receive in a year and a half is R68,995 ($809), which is comparable to renting a cheap one-bedroom apartment in Moscow for a month. 

You Might Also Like

Fleeting Freedom
  • March 16, 2025

Fleeting Freedom

A Ural journalist was released from jail, only to be re-arrested.
Women's Rights in Wartime
  • March 04, 2025

Women's Rights in Wartime

Women's rights activists face increased pressure and reduced domestic violence resources in Russia.
Frontline Sex, Moscow Prices
  • February 11, 2025

Frontline Sex, Moscow Prices

Russian sex workers have flocked to the frontlines of Ukraine to satisfy soldiers' growing demand.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955