Woman fined $500 for promoting ‘child-free lifestyle’ — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union

A 29-year-old woman in Sevastopol has been fined 50,000 rubles (about US$500) for promoting a child-free lifestyle on social media, according to a statement by local police on Friday. It is the first penalty imposed under Russia’s recent ban on ‘propaganda of childlessness’.

According to the authorities, the woman shared “misanthropic posts” on social media, including statements “favoring a carefree life over childbearing.” Despite recent legal changes, she did not remove these posts, prompting a fine under the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses, the police said.

In November 2024, Russian lawmakers passed legislation banning the promotion of voluntary childlessness, aiming to boost the country’s declining birth rate. The law prohibits disseminating information that encourages…