The Russian authorities have no idea how to improve the demographic situation in the country and are resorting to the usual tricks - this time it is called a register of pregnant women, writes journalist Tatyana Felgenhauer.
It will probably be like this again in a hundred years: the Russian authorities solve major social problems in the same way: by convening a council under the president. Demographic issues seriously worry Vladimir Putin - he himself admits it. But since officials in Russia are currently best at producing Kalashnikov assault rifles, their decision on demographic issues is also associated with violence and bureaucratic tricks.
Count all pregnant women!
Of course, in order to solve such a serious problem as demographics, a special council under the president could not help but be created. And already within the framework of this council, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova announced that next year a Register of Pregnant Russian Women will be launched in Russia, which will receive information about all births. It should be noted separately that this database will be part of another federal register - that of persons with certain diseases. But do not be surprised: pregnancy in Russia is traditionally considered a "disease". I would advise more sensitive readers never to read the stories of Russian women who have experienced humiliation and horrific treatment in maternity wards.
Anyway, officials have once again come up with nothing smarter than to count all pregnant women in Russia. Why? Obviously, to show that they are doing something when they have to answer to Putin on demographic issues. Are there few children being born? Well, what can be done, the authorities do not want to stop the war, they are also failing to cope with the economy, but look - we have tables, figures and zero protection of personal data. Of course, no one has asked women whether they want the state, which is already intruding into citizens' bedrooms, to monitor how their births went.
Pressure and control over women
The concern for women and their children in the decision to create such a register is zero. This is just another element of control and pressure. After private clinics practically banned abortions, propaganda began to brainwash teenagers about getting pregnant at 16 and to promise financial compensation to pregnant schoolgirls, after all these unthinkable and harmful initiatives that seek to turn a woman into an incubator, the authorities want to control every step, every breath taken by women. And yes, from the very birth they want to control every child.
It should be noted separately that in their quest to subjugate and control women, both the Russian Orthodox Church and the North Caucasian republics of Russia have joined forces. An unexpected moment of unity!
Although the authorities assure about the reliability and security of the register of pregnant women, this does not sound very convincing. Women will find themselves in an even more vulnerable position. Moreover, it is not very clear how the existence of the register is compatible with the right to abortion. This is also an additional pressure on women who regularly face domestic violence. The state requires them to give birth, but at the same time does not offer any protection. Moreover, the topic of domestic violence is consistently bypassed by the authorities.
It's all PR
Of course, for the official in this whole story, the most important thing is accountability. There is no care and real help. We have seen many such campaigns. Calling on women to give birth, the state does not bother to create all the conditions for the future mother and child. Births have nothing to do with the happiness and good life of the family. It is about filling in the registers, about reports and, ultimately, about continuing the war. People are the new oil. This phrase is repeated so often that it has already become banal. However, human resources are what Vladimir Putin needs most.
Officials are trying to please their bosses and come up with the most incredible ways to increase the birth rate. But they quickly came to a collision with reality - there is no money! The Samara region was the first to give in. Due to a budget deficit, the authorities of the region were the first in Russia to decide to reduce the amount of one-time assistance for pregnant schoolgirls and students. From January 1, 2026, local authorities will pay 100,000 rubles instead of 200,000. Given the economic situation in other regions, it is safe to assume that payments will soon be reduced everywhere.
However, for officials this is unlikely to be a big problem. Such payments were not conceived as real support, but simply as another PR move. In Russia, women are only objects of demographic statistics.