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Romania’s Pronatalist Policies – 1966-1989

Romania’s Pronatalist Policies – 1966-1989. Nicolae Ceausescu – wanted 25 million people in Romania (increase from 19 million) Had title “Heroine Mother” – any woman who had and raised up to 10 children 7-9 children – “Maternal Glory” 5-6 – “Maternal Medal”.

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Romania’s Pronatalist Policies – 1966-1989

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  1. Romania’s Pronatalist Policies – 1966-1989

  2. Nicolae Ceausescu – wanted 25 million people in Romania (increase from 19 million) • Had title “Heroine Mother” – any woman who had and raised up to 10 children • 7-9 children – “Maternal Glory” • 5-6 – “Maternal Medal”

  3. Didn’t work – families realized they couldn’t afford large families – standard of living was decreasing, diets poor and living conditions crowded • Fertility rate < replacement level • Birth control not available – abortion only option (cost $2) • 4 abortion for every 1 live birth

  4. 1966 – decree #770 introduced (no warning) –abortion illegal and no other Birth Control was made available • would be allowed only when pregnancy endangered the life of a woman or was the result of rape or incest, or if the child was likely to have a congenital disease or deformity

  5. If a woman was 45 years old or had already had 4 children an abortion was allowed • Ceausescu wanted a work force • 1967 birth rate doubled then declined again and remained low for 10 years • Illegal abortions – increase in maternal mortality

  6. Men & women who remained childless after the age of 25 (married or single) liable for a special tax of 10 to 20% of their income • Government targeted rising divorce rates - made divorce much more difficult

  7. a marriage could be dissolved only in exceptional cases • The ruling rigidly enforced - only 28 divorces were allowed nationwide in 1967 - compared with 26,000 in 1966

  8. Family allowances paid by the state were raised • each child bringing a small increase • Monetary awards were granted to mothers beginning with the birth of the third child • the income tax rate for parents of three or more children was reduced by 30 percent.

  9. 1974 revisions to labor code - granting special allowances for pregnant women and nursing mothers • lighter work load - excluded overtime and hazardous work and allowed time off to care for children without loss of benefits

  10. 1984 the legal age for marriage lowered 15 for women • additional taxes were levied on childless individuals over 25 • Monthly gynecological examinations for all women of childbearing age conducted (even for pubescent girls)

  11. Miscarriages investigated and illegal abortions prosecuted - 1 year prison term for the women and up to 5 years for doctors and other medical personnel performing the procedure • 1985, when "demographic command units” set up to ensure that all women were gynecologically examined at their place of work.

  12. 1985 a woman had to have had 5 children all under her care, or be more than 45 years old to qualify for an abortion • a party representative had to be present to authorize and supervise the procedure.

  13. 1985 - raising taxes for childless individuals • increasing monthly allowances to families with children by 27 percent • and giving bonuses for the birth of the second and third child • Those that had children and couldn’t care for them sent them to orphanages (encouraged to do so)

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