On August 9, ahead of Day Two of the New Belarus Conference, a Women’s Breakfast with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was held in Warsaw. The informal gathering brought together more than 50 Belarusian women and international partners, creating a space to strengthen community and solidarity and share experiences.
The event brought together more than 50 participants from different backgrounds and with different roles: representatives of Belarusian CSOs and initiatives, graduates of the Women’s Political Leadership Academy, speakers and moderators of the New Belarus Conference, former political prisoners, as well as foreign diplomats and partners.
In her opening remarks, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called for support, community, and genuine solidarity among women:
“I look at you and think about how many different stories you each carry with you. Each of you has your own reason for being here today: some of you work in politics, some help people, some create Belarusian projects, and some have only recently had to start over… The most important thing is that today, around this table, we do not need to prove anything to one another”.
Her remarks also placed a particular focus on supporting politically imprisoned women. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya mentioned the names of Liudmila Chekina, Volha Mayorava, Volha Brytsikava, and other women who remain behind bars:
“I want us, whenever we talk about Belarusian women and their role in the country’s future, to always leave a place at the table for them, too. So that their names do not get lost among the numbers of convictions and prison sentences”.
