Belarusian Organization of Working Women Analyzes Respect of Women’s Rights in Belarus

Belarusian Organization of Working Women initiated a discussion of the laws about practice of women’s rights in Belarus. On March 14 about 20 social workers gathered in a round table discussion in Babruisk. The participants of the meeting work with family problems on a daily basis. Social workers are the people who see the other side of the medal, i.e. the laws designed to improve the situation of women. Despite the fact, that all women present at the meeting were representatives of the state’s social policy, at the same time they are women, who receive benefits or suffer from imperfectness in the laws. The meeting participants realized the need to think of the ways to improve the situation through analysis of their personal situations. It turned out to be useful to look at the “global”, national problems with a professional eye through “domestic”, personal problems. One of the discussed problems was the fact that the state authorities give all their attention to “unreliable” families. That puts them and the state into a vicious circle. The issue of the contract-based labor system was raised. During the informal discussion it was found out that none of the women present in the room and working on a contract, had confidence of their future.

The results of similar regional seminars will become a ground for an information letter sent to the appropriate state institutions. The letter will contain the proposals of the ways to improve women’s situation in the country, reports press service of the Assembly of Pro-democratic NGOs.