The women's movement has become a force to be reckoned with in Belarus, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said during a meeting with activists of the Belarusian Women’s Union in Minsk on 5 March.
"The Belarusian Women's Union is as old as independent Belarus. I remember us opening a social support center in Minsk in 1996. Since then, such institutions have been established throughout the country. There have been many similar initiatives over the years. The union has developed and matured together with our statehood. In a relatively short period of time, the women's movement has become a force to be reckoned with," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The president noted that the Belarusian Women's Union has been one of the pillars of civil society. The results of the last election campaign confirm this. Women accounted for a third of the members of Parliament, and thousands of women were elected to local councils of deputies. "Many are here in this hall today. I congratulate you on winning the trust of our people," the head of state said.
"It is absolutely logical that with the Belarusian People's Congress gaining the constitutional status, the status of the Belarusian Women’s Union has increased as you have received the right to delegate your best representatives to the Congress," he added.