Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 25 October (BelTA) – Raising the involvement of men in child-rearing and household chores can help unlock the full potential of women in the economy, Belarus Labor and Social Security Minister Irina Kostevich said in the run-up to the International Forum of Women Leaders, BelTA has learned.

“Belarus has achieved good results. We occupy 26th place in the gender gap index among 144 countries. We have made achievements in education, labor market, decision making and the place of women in the family. We still face the challenge of economic empowerment of women. To maximize the potential of women, we need to reduce their dual employment,” the minister said.

In families with children under 10, a woman spends 2.5 times more time on household chores and childcare than men, the minister said. “This means we need to elevate the role of men in the family. It is important to raise the prestige of fatherhood and an understanding of the role of the father in society and also among men,” Irina Kostevich stressed.

According to her, there are no big barriers to women's self-realization in business or in politics. Business support tools used in the country are aimed at all equally. “We see that almost 35% of the National Assembly members are women. They also account for half of the people employed in the economy,” Irina Kostevich noted.

In addition, she painted a portrait of a contemporary average Belarusian woman: an urban resident, 42 years old, with university degree, a sport enthusiast, an active Internet user, first married at 26 and a mother at 27. This portrait of a Belarusian looks good against the background of other European countries.

The International Forum of Women Leaders aims to promote gender equality, women's leadership and the participation of women in political and public life. The forum has been organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights together with the Labor and Social Security Ministry in partnership with the Belarusian State University, the Belarusian Union of Women, UN agencies and the European Union. This is the second event of the kind held in the country. The first international forum of women leaders took place in June 2016.

Attending the interactive high-level panel discussion on 25 October are heads of Belarusian government bodies, Belarusian State University, the OSCE/ODIHR, high-ranking foreign representatives, and international experts. The participants will be divided into five parallel thematic sections. Three of them will be held on the first day of the forum. These are the Participation of Women in Politics, Participation of Women in the Economic Sector, Combating Violence Against Women. On 26 October, discussions will continue on the following topics: Strengthening Networks and Building Coalitions of Women Leaders, Equal Opportunities for Women and Men in Universities. At each of the sections experts will prepare recommendations to be presented at the final session.