On March 10, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in the panel discussion “The First Step: How Belarusian Women Step into the Public Sphere” in Warsaw, held to mark International Women’s Day.
The meeting was held in the format of a live conversation. Moderator Maryna Mentusava asked participants about how they took their first step into the public sphere, what helped them at the beginning, what fears and challenges they faced, and how to avoid losing themselves in the process. The discussion also featured Yana Shostak, Liza Vetrava, Nasta Bazar, and Iryna Sidorskaya.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya shared that her path into publicity began with fear, stressing that this is normal: “Everything that happens for the first time is always frightening. It is important not to let fear consume you. 2020 was the moment when saying ‘no’ was simply impossible. My main support then came from Belarusians themselves – their solidarity and belief”.
She also noted that “being in the right place” can mean different things at different stages of life, because women are multifaceted and should not be confined to a single role.
During the discussion, participants also spoke about the Women’s Political Leadership Academy of the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya – an educational program that helps women from Belarus’ democratic movement and civil society in exile find support, develop their skills, and speak out in the public sphere.
The event was organized by the Representation for National Revival of the United Transitional Cabinet and the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Imaguru Startup HUB was the official partner of the event.
