Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with women leading Belarusian NGOs ahead of the upcoming International Women’s Day. The meeting focused on key issues and challenges faced by civil society and the role of women in Belarus’ society and politics.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya and the participants of the meeting discussed:
- Support for Belarusians in exile, including coordination between NGOs on residence legalization, financial aid, employment, and housing assistance for Belarusians.
- Funding for civil society initiatives. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya confirmed that the democratic forces are doing everything possible to convince partners to continue supporting civil society activities.
- Internship opportunities for Belarusian youth in various NGOs.
- Relations with Lithuania and other countries. The parties talked about what has been achieved so far and what still needs to be done to maintain strong ties, despite the information war waged by the regime.
- Women’s role in the democratic movement, the importance of women’s leadership, and its impact on democratic change.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I always say that women’s leadership plays an enormous role in our reality. The more actively women engage, the stronger our community becomes. Sincerity and empathy are more important than ever today – both in society and in politics. Looking at all of you, I realize how many brave, talented, and inspiring women we have! I deeply admire you and your work!”
