Bold. Talented. Resilient. Brave. Honest. The list could go on forever, because it is about Belarusian women.
I have always known how much a Belarusian woman is capable of. When I saw crowds in children’s clinics. When I read the news about the achievements of our women in sports, business, and culture. When I heard stories of how they start from scratch in another country. It has always been impressive. And over the past five and a half years, I have become even more convinced.
March 8 is not a gentle spring holiday. It is a struggle for the right to be safe. For the right to true equality in society, the right to hold leadership positions, to receive equal pay with men, and the freedom not to conform to anyone else’s standards. For the right to have a voice that cannot be silenced.
Belarusian women have repeatedly shown that they will not stay silent. You have taken to the streets, defended each other, and refused to be broken. Even when attempts were made to intimidate you, you chose humanity – and, most importantly, the strong woman within yourself.
Belarusian women are imprisoned on political grounds, while their children grow up waiting for their mothers to return home. Women are fired for their views, for social media posts, for bravery, for standing against the war. Belarusian women are still not protected by proper laws against domestic violence and very often face hardships alone. And yet, they are still congratulated with words like, “you are our decoration”.
Dear girls, dear women! Both those who are in Belarus today and those who are far from home by necessity. Those who work, study, raise children, provide healthcare, volunteer, run a small business, support their families, or start over in another country. Wherever you are and whatever you do, you are a great force.
You raise children while building successful careers. You are not afraid to start over. You do what many now see as almost impossible: live, love, care for others, and remain honest at the same time.
I am proud to call myself Belarusian. Happy March 8, my dear ones!
