“Dear President Metsola,
Dear President Koch-Mehrin,
Dear friends,
Today, I am privileged to speak on behalf of Belarusian people, and primarily – on behalf of the Belarusian women.
In times of war, it is obvious that more women in politics will mean more empathy, humanity and wisdom in our decisions. These are exactly the things that we need in the world, now and ever.
I really appreciate the efforts of WPL to bring women politicians together, so that we can exchange our experiences and inspire each other. I know I am among friends here.
Last year you honored me with your wonderful Trailblazer award. And I have to confess that after three years in politics I still don’t think of myself as a politician. I never wanted to be a political leader. However, I became one – out of love.
It was love for my husband Siarhei that made me take his place in the presidential campaign of 2020. Lukashenka was so afraid of Siarhei, that he put him in jail. The dictator never played fair.
At that moment, I had other things “on my plate”, raising my son Kornei and my daughter Agniya. They were my focus – Kornei especially so, because he is a boy with special needs. For a long time I was trying to rehabilitate him, without knowing whether it would help him or not. Same with fighting for free Belarus now: I don’t know when we will win, but we have to work hard and hope for the best.
As we all know all too well, women are often overlooked in this life. Especially in politics, which is still considered to be a “men’s world” even in democratic countries, not to speak of such a patriarchal country as Belarus. Lukashenka himself said right away that “Our constitution is not made for a woman president. People won’t accept that”.
He was wrong.
First, there’s nothing in any public office made “for men only”. And if there is, there must be something wrong with this office, not with women.
Second, Belarusian people had nothing against a woman president. All the opposite. They were tired of an old self-styled macho man who was abusing the country for twenty six years. He spoke of Belarus as of his “beloved”, which he was not going to “give away”. And of course he was ready to make her obey using his only advantage: violence.
In the first place, Lukashenka got rid of men whom he perceived as the main threat for his power. It meant my husband Siarhei, a presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka and others. Soon it turned out that, from all the registered oppositional candidates, it was just me who had a chance to beat Lukashenka.
As a result, various political groups joined forces. In my presidential campaign, I was joined by two other women, Maryia Kalesnikava and Veranika Tsapkala. And it took us only 15 minutes to agree and unite. Which often takes months for men in politics.
In the beginning, people were skeptical about our chances. Then something happened. What was a “bug”, became a feature. Belarusians have seen the female, more humane face of politics. The three young, smart, modern women embodied a different future for Belarus. We won people’s hearts and people’s minds. And eventually, on August 9 2020, I won the election. We all won. Belarusians won.
Lukashenka wasn’t man enough to accept that he lost to a woman, whom he previously dismissed as a “housewife”. He was furious. He proclaimed himself a winner. That very day people took to the streets to protest that blatant falsification.
The police cracked down on protesters with unprecedented brutality. First shots were shot, first lives were lost. The prisons became torture chambers for thousands of the detained.
I was threatened by the KGB and told that for the sake of my children, I should leave the country immediately. In those circumstances, I made the decision that I will always live with: I agreed to leave Belarus. Thousands of others did not have that choice.
In those days of terror, I was in despair, thinking of giving up. But the Belarusian people gave me the courage to go on.
Belarusian women became first to protest against police brutality. Dressed in white, stepping boldly into streets full of riot police and KGB, they marched. They had lost all fear. The whole world saw those pictures.
The story of the Belarusian revolution is the story of Belarusian women.
It is the story of Maryia Kalesnikava, who tore her passport to pieces, so that the police could not throw her out of her own country. She is serving an 11 year sentence.
It is the story of Palina Sharenda Panasiuk, who told the judge that she didn’t recognize the right of the illegal court to judge her. She got 3 years. Recently she declared that she would renounce Belarusian citizenship in protest against being tortured in prison.
It is the story of Volha Zalatar, a mother of five, who is serving a 4 year prison term just for helping her neighbors self-organize through their local Telegram-chat.
It is the story of Katsiaryna Andreeva, a journalist for Belsat TV, who was broadcasting live a police crackdown on protesters until she was detained. She was sentenced to 8 years and 3 months in prison.
It is the story of Nina Bahinskaia, a 76 year old woman defiantly confronting heavily armoured young men, who was often arrested and sent to psychiatric asylum for her solitary protests.
It is the story of Daria Losik, who took care of her 4 years old daughter after her husband Ihar was arrested. She has a 2-year sentence, her daughter is living with her grandparents.
It’s the story of Natallia Suslava, a university teacher from Homel, whose son Pavel “Volat” gave his life fighting for Ukraine. She went there and became a caring mother to his brothers in arms. If she returns to Belarus, she will face years in prison for “supporting extremism”.
Today, there are about two hundred women political prisoners in Belarus. I have no doubt that any of them could be a politician or a public official in the future democratic Belarus, including being a president. But first, they must stay alive and must be released.
We have to do everything we can to bring them back to their families. We must demand their unconditional release. We must remember that when we vote for what the dictator wants us to vote, for example the lifting of sanctions, we contribute to these women’s suffering.
Let’s express our solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners by becoming “godmothers” to them, and by writing them letters and postcards. Every gesture of support matters, it brings freedom closer.
Dear friends,
The struggle of Belarusian women that began in 2020 is not over. The victory of Belarusians over dictatorial regime of Lukashenka is inevitable. The victory of Ukraine over Russian revanchism is a matter of time and our solidarity. The victory of democracy over tyranny is our common task and duty.
Stay with Belarus. Stay with Ukraine. Stay with democratic Europe.”
