Russia Targets Young Girls To Give Birth

Russia Offers Schoolgirls Cash Incentives to Have Children Amid Population Crisis

By Marsh (Edi) Baptise

Oryol, Russia — In a controversial move to combat Russia’s ongoing demographic decline, authorities in the Oryol region have announced a new program offering cash incentives to school-aged girls who become pregnant and give birth. Under the policy, eligible girls will receive a one-time payment of 100,000 rubles—approximately $1,200 USD—as part of an expanded effort to encourage childbirth among younger women.

This latest development extends a pre-existing initiative that provides financial support to female university students who become pregnant during their studies. The new policy’s focus on schoolgirls, however, has sparked widespread debate and raised serious ethical and social concerns both within Russia and abroad.

Regional officials argue that bold action is necessary to reverse Russia’s deepening population crisis. The country has faced steady population decline due to low birth rates, high emigration, and the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. According to state statistics, the Russian population shrank by over half a million people in 2023 alone.

“These measures are about securing our future,” said one local official in Oryol, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We must support families and make motherhood more accessible and rewarding.”

However, critics have slammed the program as short-sighted and potentially exploitative. Women’s rights activists and child welfare organizations warn that incentivizing teenage pregnancy could lead to increased dropout rates, health complications, and social stigmatization for young mothers—many of whom may not be emotionally or financially prepared for parenthood.

“Encouraging schoolgirls to have children through financial rewards is not only dangerous but deeply irresponsible,” said Elena Smirnova, a reproductive health advocate in Moscow. “This is not how you fix a birthrate problem. You fix it by improving healthcare, childcare access, and economic opportunity for women of all ages.”

Public reaction in Russia has been mixed. Some families struggling with poverty have welcomed the proposal as a form of much-needed financial assistance. Others have expressed disbelief and concern over the implications of encouraging minors to start families so early.

While the Kremlin has not officially commented on the Oryol initiative, similar regional experiments are being quietly considered elsewhere, according to local media reports. As the nation grapples with one of the steepest demographic declines in modern history, policymakers are increasingly turning to unconventional—and controversial—solutions.