The women’s movement remains an important pillar of Belarus’ civil society

On the threshold of March 8th, President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko held a meeting with activists of the Belarusian Women’s Union (BWU). The communication proved to be very warm and trusting — the participants repeatedly supported the President’s words with sincere applause. The Head of State expressed words of gratitude to lovely ladies, presented state awards to the best representatives, and answered numerous questions in an open and honest manner. The event was attended by about 600 activists of the union from all regions of the country.

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“I am ready for an open and candid conversation. Our meeting may play a decisive role in dealing with some issues,” the President emphasised. “Women have a positive attitude towards me, because you know that I am your most ardent supporter and a man — although far from being ideal — who is extremely devoted to women. I believe that nature has created nothing more perfect than a woman. This is my firm belief.”
The Head of State noted that Belarus has a long-standing tradition of congratulating women on the first days of spring. “The day of March 8th has become a truly national holiday for us. This day gives an opportunity not only to congratulate and thank women for their understanding, dedication, kindness, and sensitivity, but also to reflect on their role in society, to ask ourselves whether we have done everything to make sure our mothers, wives, sisters and 
daughters are happy, and what else needs to be done to make our Belarus more beautiful so that it matches the beauty of our women,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed. “Another point that I want to make is that Belarusian women are the most beautiful women in the world.” The Head of State said that he accepted the invitation of the Belarusian Women’s Union to discuss topical issues on the eve of March 8th. 
“It is you, who are present in this hall, as well as another 170 thousand active members of the union, who have an especially keen sense of responsibility for the fate of your country and care for its future. You are undeniably in the forefront of this patriotic movement. In a relatively short time, the women’s movement has become the force to be reckoned with. That is why a women’s perspective on the development of society is so important,” the President pointed out.
Aleksandr Lukashenko underlined that the Belarusian Women’s Union has been and remains one of the pillars of civil society. The results of the recent election campaign confirm this — women have made up a third of deputies in the Parliament, and thousands of women have been elected to local councils of deputies. 
According to the President, there is a special attitude towards women in Belarusian society. “Women play a pivotal role in strengthening peace and security — if there were not you, men would have started fighting long ago, even in Belarus — as well as in promoting interethnic and interconfessional dialogue. I have always said it and I will reiterate that you are our most effective diplomatic weapon. I am proud of the fact that many women in Belarus hold high positions in government bodies, public organisations, and run companies. They prove their competence, professionalism and devotion to the Motherland in every area,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
According to the Head of State, all the talk about gender inequality is irrelevant for Belarus. “The balance of work and family responsibilities, the creation of the most comfortable conditions for self-realisation both in career and in the honourable status of a mother are among the priority tasks. We have provided women with an opportunity to work part-time, on a flexible schedule or remotely — for example, from home. Now you can earn money and handle household chores without wasting time on the way to the office. And this is just the beginning,” the President pointed out. “We need to look at the working hours of kindergartens and adjust them to parents. Moreover, you need to be sure that your children — while studying at school, especially primary school — will be under teachers’ supervision until the evening, if necessary. In that case, you may not even need a remote work mode.”

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Aleksandr Lukashenko urged to remember that the true purpose of a woman on earth is being a mother. “No matter what communities they have in the West — ‘pink’, ‘multicoloured’ or others (and this wave is unfortunately already moving towards us) — except for a woman, no one can really give birth to an heir.

A woman mother is the guardian of not only the family hearth, but also of the traditional foundations of our society. By raising children to be patriots, you strengthen the state and lay a reliable foundation for the future of our Belarus. Therefore, give birth to, raise, and take care of our children, and we will do our best to ensure peace and prosperity because we are obliged to do that,” the Belarusian leader declared.

“I know that all mothers and mothers-to-be are anxious to know whether the government will continue to support mothers and children. It is an absolutely legitimate question, as this costs us a lot. We are the epitome of the welfare state. We offer dozens of social security benefits for the population and, above all, for women. The family capital costs millions of dollars. I want to assure you that our state will continue to bear this burden under any conditions and circumstances — in full and, if necessary, beyond the existing social security net. Child benefits will be increased, no one is going to scrap parental leave. We will find the necessary funds to make sure that paediatric care keeps pace with global trends (we are close to this), and that children’s health centres continue to be exemplary.”
At a meeting with the activists, Aleksandr Lukashenko addressed the BWU with a request to take control of a number of pressing social issues. In particular, they discussed measures to protect women’s health and promote families with children. “The slogan of one of the union’s projects is Women’s Health — the Health of the Nation. Our country is taking unprecedented measures to protect motherhood and childhood, accompanying women during pregnancy, providing free IVF procedures, and annual medical examinations. However, all government measures are in vain if the woman does not take care of her health,” the President remarked. The Head of State recommended that every woman try to find time for physical activity in order to stay cheerful and full of energy.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that the Belarusian Women’s Union should play a key role in promoting traditional family values and become a wall to bar the way to imposed alien modern perversions in society, which, according to the President, will increasingly appear. As the Head of State noted, a mother’s affection and woman’s love have protected Belarus at all times, shielded it from trouble, healed wounded hearts, and given meaning to life and strength in the fight for the Fatherland.
According to the established good tradition, the Belarusian leader presented the women with state awards on the eve of March 8th — the Order of Mother, the Medal For Labour Merits, the Francysk Skaryna Medal, as well as the honorary title of Honoured Teacher.
Aleksandr Lukashenko had a long conversation with representatives of the Belarusian Women’s Union and answered all their questions. The topics of motherhood and childhood, support for families with many children, extension of the family capital programme, protection of traditional values, family education, patriotism and the future of the country, the advantages of a rural lifestyle were raised. The President, among other things, was asked what a woman should be — a thrifty housewife, a keeper of the hearth modest in her requests, or rather live here and now.
“A Belarusian woman has everything in balance. She needs no advice. A real Belarusian woman knows when it is necessary to save and to spend at the right time,” the Head of State underlined. “We must live here and now, looking into the future.”

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Inga Stankevich, a mother with many children, who lives in the village and is currently on parental leave, thanked Aleksandr Lukashenko for the support of large families at the state level. She shared her experience of holding various family competitions for families, which help to unite parents and children even more, to pass on traditions and family values.
Aleksandr Lukashenko, as a man who was born in a village, considers it important to love the land and work on their own plot of land. “An important feature of the president is to be able to come down from high diplomatic stands to the ground, literally. The president must be aware of earthly issues,” the Head of State noted.
The President drew attention to the timely decision taken at the state level on the possibility of buying houses abandoned in villages at minimum cost so that the land plots would receive a new life.

Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by