Kochanova: Belarus’ special treatment of women is the basis of state and social policy

In Belarus, a special attitude towards women is the basis of our state and social policy: care for the family, for the woman. Everything is being done to ensure that our women live happily and can express themselves in absolutely all directions. This was stated by the Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Natalia Kochanova today, September 23, at the opening ceremony of the second Republican youth women’s forum “Women’s energy for a big cause”. The forum, organized by the Youth Council under the Council of the Republic and the public association “Belarusian Women’s Union”, is currently working in Minsk.

Opening the forum, Natalia Kochanova noted that the initiative of the organizers to hold such meetings has become a very good practice over the year:

I am sure that these forums will be held on an ongoing basis. And new and new young women will appear at them in order to exchange views, share their suggestions and wishes, their thoughts. Most importantly, we have experienced speakers who can suggest and share their life and professional experience with young, creative, energetic women and girls who will undoubtedly take part in this forum.

The President of the Council of the Republic stressed:

- Female power is a great power. This is a special year for us – the Year of the Belarusian woman. President of our country Aleksandr Grigoryevich Lukashenko gave us a great gift: women are now spoken differently. But in our country, special treatment of women is not new, it is the basis of our state and social policy: care for the family, for the woman. Everything is done to ensure that our women live happily and can express themselves in absolutely all directions.

Natalia Kochanova noted with satisfaction that the women’s forum has stepped into the regions of the country, and urged the participants to:

- After you arrive in your cities and districts, I would like you to share suggestions and thoughts that will be heard here. I would like to sincerely thank the organizers of this event, because the issues submitted for consideration are very relevant. In particular, because they are in tune with the main directions that are being implemented in our country to protect motherhood. As you know, at the second meeting of the Seventh All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, we defined the main directions for the development of our country. Among them are demographic security, comfortable life for our citizens, and the development of strong regions. All these issues are consonant with the topic of today’s forum and should form the basis of our further joint work – legislators and the public.

The President of the Council of the Republic recalled that we all recently celebrated the National Unity Day and expressed her firm conviction:

- Only unity is strength! It’s not just when we’re doing government work. The power of unity is when we simply lend a helping hand to a particular woman, a particular person we can help. This is exactly what our forum aims at. So that we can all be united and be able to keep our beautiful Belarus peaceful, calm, prosperous and beloved.

About 200 participants of the forum - young women aged 18 to 31, representing the real sector of the economy and the social sphere of all regions of the country - gathered today in the Marble Hall of the Minsk State Palace of Children and Youth with one goal: to unlock the potential of young women, support them in the pursuit of family well-being and develop leadership qualities. It is especially symbolic that the second youth women’s forum is taking place in the Year of the Belarusian Woman.

The forum began with an open dialogue on topical topics. The moderator of the open dialogue will be Ekaterina Tumas-Tishkevich, a well-known domestic TV presenter, head of the department of leading information and analytical programs of the Directorate of Information Broadcasting of the Second National TV Channel. In the afternoon, the forum will continue its work in three sections: “Preserving the Nation: Women’s Health as the Foundation of the Future”, “Women’s Leadership Energy: Mental Immunity, Family and Balance” and “Motherhood: A Code for Success”.