Saint Petersburg legislators approved a municipal bill Wednesday to introduce fines for “encouragement of abortions,” to purportedly help create a “safe … family and motherhood informational environment” in the region.
The bill would establish an increasing fine scale for citizens, public persons, and people in legal professions for encouraging abortions. When asked why the male authors of the bill did not consult female legislators, one of them stated, “We stand on the side of protection of interests of women. We clearly understand the situations women are in.”
At the moment, 20 Russian jurisdictions—called Federal subjects—have prohibited “encouragement of abortions,” with the Mordovia Republic spearheading the movement in 2023. The Premier of Russia’s Vologda Oblast region Georgy Filimonov publicly stated that he will work towards a complete removal of abortion services in the Oblast. During the Saint Petersburg International Legal Forum last month, a representative of РЦП (Russian Orthodox Church) proposed amending the Constitution to ban abortions.
Russian officials have justified these and similar policies as a way to address Russia’s rapid population decline. According to reports, roughly 500,000 pregnancies were terminated in Russia in 2022, compared to 1.3 million births. UN projections predict Russia’s population to shrink between 25-50 percent over the next 75 years. Many have criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as accelerating this trend.
Earlier this year, BBC’s Russian Service presented accounts of the barriers women face when seeking reproductive care in the country. In one account, a 39-year-old mother of four was forced to repeatedly explain why she wanted an abortion. She was mandated to consult with a psychologist prior to the procedure, who ultimately pressured her to give birth and place the child into foster care. Doctors also allegedly intimidated her, offered her money to keep the baby, and refused to perform an abortion due to religious beliefs. The head doctor informed journalists that abortions are not performed in the Oblast per the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation’s order.
The new law adds to the growing restrictions on abortion access across Russia. Individuals from the Republic of Karelia have reported that the region has made abortions effectively impossible to receive due to bureaucratic hurdles, psychological pressure, consultation requirements, intrusive procedures, and distant clinics.
In addition to government pressure, many private clinics have ceased service. In 2024, 502 clinics in Russia had stopped offering abortions.
