Russian authorities draft new demographic strategy centred around ‘family values’

The Russian government has prepared a draft family and demographic policy focused on raising the country’s low birth rate and promoting “traditional family values”, Russian business news daily RBC reported on Thursday.

The draft strategy, a copy of which has been obtained by RBC, was developed by “almost all the main departments” of the Russian government under Vladimir Putin’s instruction, according to the publication.

The goals of the strategy include “preserving the population by increasing the birth rate,” “protecting and supporting the family,” and “strengthening the institution of the family as a union of a man and a woman.”

The strategy proposes a number of policies to achieve these goals, such as expanding the provision of maternity payments for parents having two or more children, improving the efficiency of alimony payments, and supporting the construction of affordable housing, especially for large families.

It also proposes introducing public awards for grandparents with “multiple children and a large number of grandchildren” to “promote a family lifestyle”, RBC reported.