Russia Approves Ban on 'Propaganda' for a Childless Life

moscow - The Russian parliament has unanimously approved a bill that bans 'propaganda' for a childless life, aiming to promote traditional family values.

The new law was passed in the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament. It may become illegal to promote a childless lifestyle online, in media, and in advertisements. Those who reject childbirth may face fines, according to the lawmakers. The law still needs to be approved by the upper house before President Vladimir Putin can sign it into law.

Putin has been promoting Russia as a safe haven for what he considers traditional family values, which he believes are under pressure in the West. State Duma chairman and Putin ally Vyacheslav Volodin has previously stated that young people are being "imposed with the ideology of childlessness" through the media.

Russia already has a controversial law in place that bans so-called propaganda about LGBT people. While the law supposedly aims to protect 'family values' and children, human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International argue that it fuels homophobia.