Social well-being of pregnant women in the context of overcoming social crises

A social protection strategy in times of crisis always requires the state to prioritize the goals of social policy and rank the interests of groups and individuals. In this context, one of the main objectives in a crisis is to protect the most vulnerable members of society. In addition to establishing the rights of vulnerable groups, a social protection strategy is also closely linked to ensuring effective guarantees for the implementation of rights. Currently, Today, Russian society is experiencing a crisis in several areas of life. For example, persistent unfavorable demographic trends have become a central factor in exacerbating economic problems, and in the last decade, they have been cited as a precursor to the shortage of workers in the labor market. Today, economists and sociologists in Russia are noting a significant mismatch between the needs of the labor market and the educational outcomes and workforce size. The noted external factors form a specific picture for different socially vulnerable groups of the population, and in particular - for pregnant women. A positive reproductive choice can be consistent with a woman’s personal desire to give birth and in the long term can have a positive impact on the country’s demographic indicators, as well as bring new resources to the economy, however, the current situation in the economy and the labor market (including the efforts of employers) seems to persuade a woman to postpone pregnancy. The main counterargument to the decision to become pregnant is usually the prospect of socioeconomic instability. The picture of legal regulation and law enforcement allows us to characterize the existing system of social security for pregnant women as requiring conceptual reflection and reorientation towards covering all pregnant women based on the onset of pregnancy. In addition to special nutrition, micronutrient provision, vitamins, and minerals necessary for health and pregnancy prognosis, women should receive timely and high-quality medical care. A pregnant woman should have the right to effective and sufficient financial support, as well as psychological and pedagogical support, without waiting for her income and property to completely disappear, in order to maintain her psychological state and prepare her for motherhood. The proposed directions for improving social security are even more justified and strategically necessary in light of the crises that society is experiencing, as the demographic outlook depends on the social wellbeing of the pregnant women. It seems socially justified and even significant to separate the category of pregnant women into a separate group of social security recipients based on the condition of pregnancy, regardless of diseases, income level, occupation, etc.: this group is one of the centers of the constant function of self-reproduction of society, which is in the public interest and can serve as a basis for positive transformations of social reality and overcoming crises in the long term. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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