Pavlyuchenko at the international forum in Turkmenistan spoke about the contribution of women to the development of Belarus

Chairman of the Standing Commission of the Council of the Republic on Education, Science, Culture and Social Development Natalia Pavlyuchenko took part in the plenary session of the International Forum “The Role of Women in Peacekeeping and Sustainable Development”. The event takes place in the national tourist zone "Avaza", where on October 9 will be held a summit of the heads of state - members of the CIS.

Natalia Pavlyuchenko stressed:

Gender equality, as well as support for motherhood and childhood are among the key priorities of the state policy of Belarus.

According to a member of the Council of the Republic, the country has created a comprehensive system of state support for women, which covers various stages of their lives:

- This year, the decree of the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko declared the Year of the Belarusian woman is the highest state recognition of the fundamental role that women play in the development and strengthening of our country. Women make up 54 per cent of the country's population and their employment rate among citizens of working age exceeds 85.5 per cent. At the same time, state policy allows them to harmoniously combine motherhood and professional development, thanks to which women confidently occupy key managerial positions in all spheres of society.

Natalia Pavlyuchenko said that Belarus has a National Council for Gender Policy under the Government, equal pay is ensured and conditions are created for combining professional activities with the upbringing of children.

- Government support has contributed to increasing the number of women in decision-making positions. They currently hold about 33 per cent of seats in the National Assembly, 36 per cent of positions in senior government, 48 per cent of seats in local government and 67 per cent of positions in the judiciary. The share of women's entrepreneurship reached almost 42 percent.

Separately, the senator noted the importance of protecting the institution of the family, which is enshrined in Belarus at the constitutional level and is considered one of the most important functions of the state. According to her, the republic promotes the pro-family agenda at international platforms, including the UN, the Eurasian Women’s Forum and the SCO, considering a strong family as the basis of national and global security

- This is a matter of national security and the sustainability of our states. States that respect traditional family values and preserve the inextricable bond between generations do not think in terms of aggression and geopolitical diktat. They are focused on creation, internal development and protection of human potential.

In conclusion, Natalia Pavlyuchenko invited international partners to take part in the family forum, which will be held for the first time in the international format in Polotsk on October 12-13.

Valentina Matvienko, Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, also spoke at the meeting and noted that it is women who are able to bring the desire for dialogue, the ability to solve pressing problems through discussion, search for compromise to the modern complex global agenda:

- This approach is especially important today, in an era of changes in global politics and the economy. In these conditions, the demand for humanization, “humanization” of international politics and economy, for creation, for the search for a new, more equitable and equitable model of development and security in the world is growing many times over.

Speaking about the development of fair cooperation in the global arena, Valentina Matviyenko emphasized the role of the United Nations:

- At present, the UN’s efforts are focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, with women playing a critical role in each of these goals. But much remains to be done. For this, I believe, it is very important to exchange experience, successful practices and developments.