While commenting on Russia’s demographic problems (low birth rate, growing number of murders, suicides, accidents, etc.), some experts suggest that in 20 years our country will experience serious depopulation problems that might even lead to the state’s disintegration.
Care for children has been declared one of the top state priorities more than once. In 2009 the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, issued a decree creating the post of Children's Rights Commissioner for the President of the Russian Federation and appointing Mr Astakhov – lawyer and famous TV personality - to this position.
Pavel Astakhov told a press conference of the progress in the fight for children's rights and voiced the results of the monitoring of Russian adopted children’s rights abuse in Russia and abroad.
According to Mr Astakhov, special inspections were held in 33 regions of the RF. Special attention was attributed to orphans, problem children, children from problem families and children detained for crimes. The inspection showed that the level of federal support for the projects concerning these groups of problem children is far too low, and all the facilities lack specialists. What is even more disconcerting is that the commission detected violations in almost all facilities.
Some 20,000-30,000 babies are being abandoned each year. This figure is truly catastrophic, and, in Astakhov’s opinion, special federal programs, such as ‘Young Mother’ could help the situation. Such programs could also help decrease the number of abortions – some 70,000 teenagers had abortions in 2011, half of them for the second time. However, there is some positive dynamic – the number of abandoned children fell by 20% in the last two years. This program is due, however, to local initiatives, and not to federal programs.
682317 became orphans in 2011, but the number of state children's homes reduced by 11.8%.
The total number of divorces is falling – two years ago 65% of marriages ended in divorce, and in 2011 the figure is 55%. However, in some regions of Russia this indicator exceeds 80%.
Mr Astakhov also touched upon the topic of adoption of Russian orphans by foreigners. He said that it’s a myth that foreigners prefer to adopt disabled children – 3355 children were adopted by foreigners in 2010, and only 4% of them are disabled, while the same indicator among Russian adoptive parents is 7%. Some 10% of the children adopted by foreigners were adopted by US citizens. Astakhov also pointed out that the situation with child abuse is much more alarming in the US than it is in Russia.
As for the orphan problem in the Caucasus, Astakhov stressed that there are only 176 orphans in Chechnya, and in other Caucasian republics the figure is also small. He also pointed out the high quality of care taken of problem children in the region. "Caucasian people have great love towards children, and adoption of orphans is traditionally deemed honorable," Astakhov explained.
By VK
