Russia’s shrinking population has been a central concern for the Russian President Vladimir Putin. In order to counter this demographic trend, he has introduced various measures such as restricting abortion, supporting families, and promoting “traditional values.” Many of his policies resemble Soviet pronatalist measures, but a striking departure is the attempt to make reproduction women’s destiny. This direction has accelerated since the beginning of the "special military operation" in February 2022. Through a comparative analysis of Soviet and post-Soviet pronatalist policies, this talk discusses the government's growing efforts to further restrict women's access to conventional and medical abortion, to renew the glorification of large families, and to promote anti-abortion and pronatalist propaganda.
Sponsorship
Department of Women's and Gender Studies, MIT
Accessibility
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