Last but not least: swap sterilization for a blender
In the Indian desert state of Rajasthan, couples have an average of 3.2 children. That is significantly more than the government would like. To lower the birth rate, the authorities have come up with a rather bizarre lottery.
The "game" was launched this summer. It was a lottery in which men and women who underwent sterilization could win all kinds of things: a car, motorcycles, televisions or blenders. And the financial incentive seems to have served its purpose: A total of 1,838 people underwent sterilization between July and October - 300 more than in the same period last year.
According to the NZZ, the idea of motivating people to undergo sterilization through financial incentives is anything but new: the operation is free of charge in state hospitals and mobile health centers throughout India. In Rajasthan, women receive the equivalent of around 14 francs from the state, men around twice as much. In a district in Madhya Pradesh plagued by bandits, men who have undergone infertility treatment have even received a gun license. Different countries, different customs. In addition to the cars, blenders and gun licenses, we recommend running one or two awareness campaigns and investing a few francs in the education of the general population. Then it will certainly work out well.
