Lukashenko: women’s movement remains one of pillars of Belarus’ civil society
The women’s movement has been and remains one of the pillars of civil society in our country – as stated by the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, during today’s meeting with activists of the Belarusian Women’s Union public association
From the very beginning of the event, the Head of State made it clear that it would be warm and trusting, “I’m ready for an open, honest conversation, and this is not just a statement. You know our system of government: everything agreed upon in the country is definitely implemented. Therefore, our meeting today may be decisive on some issues… Of course, I understand that women treat me well, because I am your most ardent supporter and a man – though far from being ideal – who is extremely devoted to women. I’m confident that our nature has created nothing more perfect than a lady. This is my firm belief.”
The Head of State openly shared some of his thoughts on the eve of the event, somewhat even unexpected, “Preparing for this meeting, I thought why haven’t you become a party yet? I’m not pushing you to do this. You know my attitude towards party building: everything should be natural, everything should mature. There shouldn’t be any pro-government or other parties; they must evolve themselves if we definitely want to have real parties in the future.”
At the same time, the President noted, “I think, if we had a women’s party, it would simply be unrivalled. I say this sincerely. At the same time. I also thought that probably you do not need it, as people do not take parties well. You already have enormous influence and participate in all political and other processes.”
The President asserted that Belarus has been maintaining a good tradition for many years: to congratulate ‘the strongest, bravest, most beautiful and reliable, our beloved’ ladies in the first days of spring, “The holiday of March 8th has become truly national for us. This is not merely an opportunity to congratulate and thank women for their understanding and devotion, kindness and sensitivity. This is also a reason to think about their role in society, to answer the questions of whether we have done everything to make our mothers and wives, sisters and daughters happy, and what else needs to be done to make our beloved Belarus more beautiful, enabling it to match the beauty of our ladies. There is one more thesis: no women around the globe are more beautiful than Belarusian ladies. This is my strong belief.”
The Head of State said that he had accepted the invitation of the Belarusian Women’s Union to talk about these important topics on the eve of March 8th. "It is you – who are present here now, as well as 170 thousand other members of the public association – who feel especially keenly responsible for the fate of your country, who are worried about its future. This is undeniable, and you are in the first place in this regard. Only you are in the forefront of this patriotic movement. It is you who love your country and Homeland like no one else, and this fact has relevant grounds. Our future – like the future of any country – rests on the youth and children. That's why you want our life to be quiet, peaceful, and our country to prosper. The future of the state is the future of our children, therefore your viewpoint on the development of society is very important.”
The Head of State drew attention to the fact that the Belarusian Women’s Union is the same age as the country’s independence, recalling his first meeting with representatives of the organisation back in 1996, “We were opening the union’s social support centre in Minsk. Afterwards such institutions were established throughout the country, and there have been many similar initiatives over these years. The Belarusian Women’s Union developed and matured together with our statehood.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko stated, “In a relatively short time, the women’s movement has become a force that cannot be ignored. You have been and remain one of the pillars of civil society. This was also my insistence. If we have a civil society, then women are one of the pillars. The results of the recent election campaign prove this, with women accounting for a third of the Parliament deputies and thousands of women being elected to local councils of deputies. Many are present here today in this hall, and I congratulate you on this trust of our people. It is absolutely logical that with the granting of constitutional status to the Belarusian People’s Congress, the status of your organisation also raised, enabling you to delegate your best representatives to the Belarusian People’s Congress.”
photos: www.president.gov.by
