A month ago, I visited my relatives in Russia. From the few TV programs I watched while there, it appeared that children are the number one issue on the Russian agenda. Yet, there seemed to be a cognitive dissonance between the declarations about the importance and the value of children and the fact that Russians are just not having them. Most women that decide to bring a child into the world, suffice themselves with one. Three children in a family are a rarity.
It is true that Russian women are an integral part of the workforce and that stay-at-home moms are almost unheard of in urban areas (except for the very rich of course). Getting childcare could also be tricky. (My cousin told me that in order to send her daughter to a day care center at the age of two, she had to sign up as soon as the baby was born, and it would probably take a bribe to really get in.) However, similar challenges exist in other countries as well without affecting demographics. (more…)