Office for European Expertise and Communications is pleased to present an extended version of the gender sector analysis in Belarus. For the last six months a team of experts has been adding more verified data to the text of the analysis to make it more precise. Office for European Expertise and Communications is grateful to the organizations and experts for the information provided.
Irina Alhovka, Gender Equality specialist from NGO «Genders Perspectives», comments the extended version of the sectoral analysis: «An advantage of this very analysis is that it states a status-quo of specific parts of the gender sector. For the experienced activists the issues raised in the analysis are not brand new. They are often discussed in different places and on different occasions. However, the research has managed to document the issues and categorize them. I hope that the conclusions of the analysis will be taken into account by the government and CSOs and included into the upcoming 5th National Action Plan to Ensure Gender Equality 2016-2020» .
Svetlana Burova and Olga Yanchuk, Gender Sector analysts, say why further development of the gender sector is essential: «From our point of view the current status of gender in Belarus is anachronistic, blocking the social development because it creates a lot of obstacles for self-realization of men and women who get «trapped» by their gender roles and whose capacities become very limited. Strategic programs aimed to ensure gender equality are the way to build a more equitable society». The analysts name a number of key reasons why gender development programs should be implemented. They are:
- Women’s capacity to realize themselves in the traditionally masculine spheres (new professions, career, politics, science)
- Men’s capacity to realize themselves in the traditionally feminine spheres (children’s upbringing, education, and care; household activities)
- Capacity of children of both genders to choose life strategies based on their gifts, needs, and interests, and not on the obligations to follow traditions
- New opportunities for social development, diversity of life and its harmonization (environment that ensures self-realization for each and every one)
Office for European Expertise and Communications invites everyone who is interested to join the discussion of the results of the sectoral analysis and encourages organizations to use the verified data in their activities.
The full text of the analysis of the gender sector in Belarus is here. The infographics based on the research materials is available on the link.
