Source: United Nations – Geneva
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the ninth periodic report of Belarus, with Committee Experts praising the State’s progress in preventing trafficking, and raising questions about the criminalisation of HIV transmission and reports of repression of civil society.
Elgun Safarov, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Belarus, and other Experts commended Belarus’ awareness-raising projects on the prevention of trafficking and women’s empowerment.
One Committee Expert noted that Belarus had a high number of criminal cases related to HIV. Transmission of HIV was penalised with imprisonment of up to five years. Was the State party rethinking this law?
Mr. Safrov said many very important non-governmental organizations had been closed recently. What were the reasons for these closures? There were reports of repression of women journalists and activists.
Several other Experts expressed concern about reports that women who expressed dissent were punished and detained. What plans were in place to protect women activists from gender-based violence and State repression? Why were civil society organizations engaged in the protection of human rights dissolved by the State?
Introducing the report, Larysa Belskaya, Permanent Representative of Belarus to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said Belarus strived to fully ensure equal rights and opportunities for women in all spheres. In an extremely difficult geopolitical situation, Belarus progressively built a society where every person could have decent living conditions and benefit society.
The delegation said Belarus had taken measures to eliminate trafficking in persons and to identify and rehabilitate victims. In 2024, authorities identified 1,500 cases of suspected trafficking and identified several victims, including minors. The State worked with civil society to build the capacity of law enforcement staff related to trafficking; 90 training sessions had been held in 2024.
Concerning the transmission of HIV, the delegation said that in 2023, nine women had been penalised for transmitting HIV and 12 women were penalised in 2022. The State party was continuing to reduce the stringency of HIV legislation. A draft law had been developed to decriminalise unintentional transmission of HIV. Penalties for the deliberate transmission of HIV would remain.
The delegation said the Committee’s assessments related to repression were not appropriate. The protests that took place in Belarus over the reporting period were in many cases not peaceful. Certain extremist actions were taken by media workers. The Government was working to increase understanding of the situation.
Civil society in Belarus was active, the delegation added. The State party had over 1,500 civil society organizations, including women’s organizations. In 2020, there was an attempt to carry out a coup d’etat by several non-governmental organizations engaged in anti-Government activities. A court decision held these organizations and their members responsible for violating the law. This should not be considered repression of civil society. In 2023, a new law on the activities of civil society was adopted that required organizations to re-register. Many non-governmental organizations had not completed the new registration procedure and had been shut down. Citizens were entitled to renew the activities of previous non-governmental organizations.
In closing remarks, Ms. Belskaya said Belarus had achieved much in terms of gender equality and empowering women. The discussion helped the State party to identify the remaining issues to be addressed. The Committee’s recommendations would be carefully considered by the National Council on Gender Equality and used to construct the next national action plan on gender equality
In her closing remarks, Nahla Haidar, Committee Chair, commended the State party for its efforts and encouraged it to implement the Committee’s recommendations for the benefit of all women and girls in Belarus.
The delegation of Belarus consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection; Ministry of Health; and the Permanent Mission of Belarus to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Belarus at the end of its ninetieth session on 21 February. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.
The Committee will next meet at 10 a.m. on Friday, 7 February to consider the eighth periodic report of Luxembourg (CEDAW/C/LUX/8).
Report
The Committee has before it the ninth periodic report of Belarus (CEDAW/C/BLR/9).
Presentation of Report
LARYSA BELSKAYA, Permanent Representative of Belarus to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said Belarus was committed to the principles of the Convention and strived to fully ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men in all spheres. Its Gender Gap Index score had almost halved from 0.152 in 2014 to 0.096 in 2024, placing the country 29th out of 166 countries. In an extremely difficult geopolitical situation, Belarus preserved its State, peace and tranquillity, and progressively built a society of equal opportunities, where every person could have decent living conditions and benefit society.
Over the years, the Government had made serious efforts to implement the Convention and had achieved concrete results for the advancement of women. Gender policy was coordinated by the National Council on Gender Policy. Every five years, national action plans on gender equality were adopted. This year, the sixth national action plan (2021-2025), the goals and objectives of which were linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, was being implemented. Work was also progressively being carried out to introduce mechanisms for gender analysis of legislation and gender budgeting in the development of draft State plans and programmes.
The National Statistical Committee had developed thematic information systems that made it possible to analyse the situation in the field of gender equality. The “Gender Statistics Web Portal” contained 178 gender statistics. In 2020, the Labour Code introduced a norm establishing paternity leave of up to 14 days within six months after the birth of the child. The Government was also working to calculate the value of unpaid domestic services not included in gross domestic product. The final data would be published in June 2025.
Belarussian women were actively promoted to managerial positions. In the National Assembly, the share of women in 2023 was 36 per cent. At the same time, in the House of Representatives, their share was 40.6 per cent. Women accounted for 47 per cent of local self-government bodies. Among senior civil servants, the share of women in 2023 was 54.6 per cent; among judges, 64.4 per cent.
Labour legislation provided for parents with family responsibilities an additional day off from work per month or reduced working days, flexible forms of employment, and remote employment. The country guaranteed access for all citizens to health care, education, social services, culture and sports. At the birth of a child, the State provided material support to all families and the payment of insurance premiums. Benefits for pregnancy, childbirth and temporary disability had been increased, as had social support for parents raising a child with disabilities. Since 2015, the State also provided a one-time non-cash provision equalling 10,000 United States dollars at the birth or adoption of third or subsequent children.
The Belarussian Women’s Union, which united 162,000 women, worked to raise the status of women in society and their role in all spheres of life, and there were 15 more women’s organizations in Belarus. In total, as of October 2024, there were 1,466 public associations; 18 new public associations were registered in 2024.
In Belarus, the literacy rate of the population aged 15 and over was almost 100 per cent. General secondary education was compulsory for all. The percentage of women in higher education was about 53 per cent. Almost 92 per cent of women aged 16-72 used the Internet.
For several years, there had been a decrease in the female working age unemployment rate, from 3.1 per cent in 2019 to 2.7 per cent in 2023. This figure was lower than the male unemployment rate, which was 4.1 per cent in 2023. More than 42 per cent of employed women had completed higher education and 70 per cent of civil servants were women. The share of women among researchers in Belarus was 39.2 per cent. In 2024, for the first time, a female cosmonaut from Belarus, Marina Vasilevskaya, flew to the International Space Station. Belarus was also actively developing women’s entrepreneurship; the representation of women in this area was 36.4 per cent. In 2023, the first Forum of Women Entrepreneurs was held, with the active participation of the Belarussian Women’s Union.
Every woman, regardless of income, had the opportunity to receive any type of medical care free of charge. Unprecedented measures were being taken in the country to protect motherhood and childhood, to accompany women during pregnancy, and to carry out annual medical examinations. Belarus was among the 25 countries with the highest rating in terms of access to sexual and reproductive health, information and education. The proportion of women using various types of contraception increased from 39.9 per cent in 2010 to 53.2 per cent in 2021. The number of abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age over the past 10 years had decreased by almost two times to 6.2 per cent in 2023. Since 2011, no cases of illegal abortions had been registered in the country.
Specific measures were being taken in Belarus to prevent domestic violence. In 2022, protective measures for victims and preventive measures against violators were strengthened. Every year, about 15,000 victims turned to regional social service centres for help. A network of “crisis” rooms was being developed, with 134 rooms having been established as of 2024. There were no restrictions on the time in which people could live in these rooms; in the first half of 2024, 81 women lived in them. Public and international organizations were involved in aiding women victims of domestic violence.
From today’s dialogue, Belarus expected practical and implementable recommendations that would allow it to implement high international standards in State policy to ensure equal rights and expand opportunities for women.
Questions by a Committee Expert
ELGUN SAFAROV, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Belarus, said that Belarus had developed family and women policy, implemented many awareness-raising projects on the prevention of trafficking and women’s empowerment, organised several international conferences on women in entrepreneurship and science, and adopted several legislative acts on women rights protection during the reporting period. He expressed appreciation for the State party’s activities for the harmonisation of legislation and measures for the adoption of international standards.
However, the Committee had witnessed multiple violations of women’s rights. The State party did not have comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation that specifically prohibited discrimination against women, including direct and indirect discrimination, and also had no specific, stand-alone legislation on gender equality, or a law explicitly focused on ending all forms of gender-based violence, including domestic violence. Sexual harassment in the workplace remained unaddressed in legislation, and laws prohibited women’s participation in certain jobs.
There were many problems related to access to justice for women. There needed to be effective remedies for victims of discrimination. There was no special body for deciding cases related to discrimination against women. HIV transmission was criminalised. Why had some women lawyers’ licenses been terminated?
What measures were in place to incorporate a definition of equality between women and men in the Constitution and the Criminal Code? What mechanisms were in place to protect against discrimination? Had the Convention been translated into Belarussian? Were there any court cases that had referenced the Convention? Why had closed court sessions been held to try women who had participated in peaceful demonstrations? How were lawyers appointed? Did the State party keep data on criminal cases related to gender?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Belarus did not have a comprehensive definition of discrimination against women in its legislation, but principles of equality were included in the Constitution and various laws. The Government had considered developing a single act on discrimination, but had found that existing legislation sufficiently banned discrimination. Legal amendments were introduced in 2022 to provide women and men with equal opportunities in employment, training and education. The rights of victims of sexual discrimination needed to be restored under law. All complaints of discrimination, including from women and foreign citizens, needed to be reviewed by relevant State authorities within a tight deadline. Discriminatory norms were not permitted in legislation. Follow-up on implementation of gender legislation was carried out by a dedicated group of the National Council on Gender Policy.
The Bar Association carried out activities to inform citizens about how they could access legal aid. Women who lodged a complaint related to workplace discrimination or the deprivation of parental rights, as well as pregnant women, vulnerable families and victims of trafficking, received legal aid free of charge. Women in prisons could receive legal aid when they submitted complaints. Women could choose their own lawyer, or were appointed one if they could not afford one.
Belarus had two national languages: Belarussian and Russian. Russian was more represented in State correspondence, but this did not hinder access to information on legislation for the population. The Convention was part of the national legal system and had been referenced in court proceedings. The Criminal Code recognised undermining of women’s bodily integrity as an offence. There were around 50 cases related to bodily harm in the first half of 2024, and 44 cases of other sexual offences.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert commended the Government on efforts to align policies with the Sustainable Development Goals. However, the Committee was concerned by the absence of an independent national human rights institution, and by the exclusion of civil society organizations that worked to safeguard women’s rights. Would the State party consider establishing a national human rights institution in line with the Paris Principles? Which Government agency was responsible for protecting women’s rights.
The Expert welcomed the policy to promote gender empowerment and gender sensitive budgeting. How would the national action plan on gender equality be monitored? How would the State party ensure the meaningful participation of civil society in this regard?
The Committee was deeply concerned by the increasingly shrinking civic space. Many women human rights defenders faced detention and restriction of activities. What plans were in place to protect women activists from gender-based violence and State repression? Why were civil society organizations that were engaged in the protection of human rights dissolved by the State?
Belarus had not adopted a national action plan on women, peace and security. Would it consider developing such a plan to mainstream gender perspectives into peacebuilding efforts?
One Committee Expert said the share of women in regional leadership positions was low and there were very few female ambassadors. Women who peacefully expressed diverse political opinions were at a high risk of being treated as extremists. Had the State party implemented temporary special measures to ensure gender equality in recent years? Were there measures to increase the representation of women in leadership positions, as well as in employment and education? What measures were in place to support vulnerable women and to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender equality?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Belarus had State and public institutions protecting human rights, including the national councils on gender equality, children and disability, and the Environmental Committee, among others. The State had conducted consultations with civil society, international organizations and State agencies in 2017 related to the establishment of a national human rights institution. Belarus believed that creating a national human rights institution was not a priority as its existing bodies were working efficiently to protect human rights. This issue could be examined in more detail at a later stage.
The National Council on Gender Equality coordinated and monitored the implementation of national action plans on gender equality. From 2023 to 2024, a gender assessment methodology for legislation was adopted. Based on assessments, problems had been identified and measures were being planned to address them in the next national action plan.
Belarus was not a party to any conflict currently, so it had not implemented special measures related to women, peace and security. However, the Government had taken measures to protect Ukrainian refugees. Over 200,000 people had arrived from Ukraine in the past three years, more than half of whom were women. Belarus offered refugees temporary protection and the choice of becoming Belarussian citizens.
Civil society in Belarus was active. The State party had over 1,500 civil society organizations, as well as professional unions and women’s organizations. The Belarussian Women’s Union actively engaged with State authorities. There were also specialised civil society organizations supporting vulnerable women. The process for registering a civil society organization was simple and transparent; the State did not interfere in the registration of such organizations and provided regular support to existing organizations. Under the law on civil society organizations, such organizations could be closed based on court decisions finding that the organization had carried out unlawful propaganda or violated State legislation.
Citizens active in social activities had the right to be defended but were held liable when they violated the law. In 2020, there was an attempt to carry out a coup d’etat by several non-governmental organizations engaged in anti-Government activities. A court decision had held these organizations and their members responsible for violating the law. This should not be considered repression of civil society. After these events, laws on civil society were amended to provide incentives for more constructive civic activities. Non-governmental organizations in Belarus needed to work cooperatively with the State and could not be funded from abroad.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert welcomed that the State party had not ruled out establishing a national human rights institution and called for serious consideration of its establishment. The Expert called for the development of a dedicated policy on women, peace and security. How many women’s organizations participated in the development and analysis of the national action plan on gender equality?
Another Committee Expert welcomed advances in protection from domestic violence, including the law on crisis prevention. However, gender stereotypes were spread in media communications and women were systematically silenced and controlled by the State – women who expressed dissent were attacked, punished and detained. Vulnerable women were often blamed and stigmatised when they sought protection. The State party implemented restraining orders for only 30 days and perpetrators were not expelled from homes.
Would the State party adopt a comprehensive strategy to address gender stereotyping, a comprehensive law against domestic violence, and penal protection against marital rape? How would the State party protect victims in criminal proceedings? What remedies had been provided to victims in recent years? How many persons had been convicted for domestic violence crimes? What services were provided in crisis rooms and how were personnel in these rooms trained? Why did the rooms also house men? Over 30 non-governmental organizations managing hotlines and shelters had been closed; why was this?
One Committee Expert commended the State party for addressing trafficking in persons by ratifying international conventions on trafficking and developing comprehensive laws related to trafficking. Could the State party provide data on trafficking and prostitution? What measures were in place to protect women with disabilities from trafficking and to identify victims of trafficking? How many investigations into trafficking had been carried out and how many persons were convicted? How was the State party strengthening protections for women and girls against trafficking, promoting their access to justice, and building the capacity of State officials on the gendered aspects of trafficking?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said analysis of the national action plan on gender equality was carried out twice a year. The Belarus Women’s Union was represented in the National Commission on Gender Equality and other bodies. The State party also closely cooperated with the Red Cross and other international organizations, and supported organizations of persons with disabilities. Seventy per cent of civil servants were women; 50 per cent were in middle management positions and were involved in preparing important political decisions.
Eliminating gender stereotypes was one of the goals of the national action plan for gender equality. The State party was working to enhance the role of fathers in carrying out domestic tasks and was working with civil society on a joint project encouraging responsible fatherhood. There was a programme on State television that presented case studies of successful professional women.
Persons who perpetrated domestic violence were required to leave the homes where victims lived, and authorities monitored compliance. The law on preventing domestic violence had been amended to address violence against former partners and cohabitants. The number of protective measures that had been implemented had increased significantly from around 18,000 in 2022 to 33,000 in 2024. The Government supported victims to stay in their homes. There were awareness raising campaigns in place to inform potential victims about reporting channels and preventing gender-based violence. All types of bodily harm were criminalised.
Every year, around 17,500 complaints of domestic violence were made. If women victims required temporary housing, it was provided. Shelters could be accessed 24 hours a day by victims and their children without documentation. There were hundreds of crisis rooms available, including 132 equipped for children. Work was underway to ensure access to the rooms for persons with disabilities.
Belarus had taken measures to eliminate trafficking in persons and to identify and rehabilitate victims. In 2024, authorities identified 1,500 cases of suspected trafficking and identified several victims, including minors. The State worked with civil society to build the capacity of law enforcement staff related to trafficking; 90 training sessions had been held in 2024. Specialists had been hired to support victims of various forms of trafficking. The State was also working to align national trafficking legislation with international norms, and various awareness raising campaigns on trafficking were also in place. Involvement in prostitution was an administrative offence; however, victims of trafficking were not prosecuted, but were provided with support.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert welcomed that legislation was being amended regarding domestic violence, which needed to be made an aggravated circumstance in homicide offences. What measures were in place to ensure the safety of victims of domestic violence?
Another Committee Expert commended progress being made related to trafficking and prostitution.
ELGUN SAFAROV, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Belarus, asked why there was a shortage of female Belarussian ambassadors. None of the chambers of Parliament had female chairs; there were no parliamentary committees working to protect women’s rights; and only one out of 24 Ministers was a woman. Why was this? How many Deputy Ministers were women? To what extent were women represented in the technological sector?
Many very important non-governmental organizations had been closed recently. What were the reasons for these closures? There were reports of repression of women journalists and activists.
One Committee Expert noted progress made in reducing statelessness through nationalisation efforts. However, 2,473 women remained stateless in the State party. Were there programmes addressing statelessness? When would the State party ratify the 1954 and 1967 United Nations conventions on statelessness? The State party had not established a clear procedure for protecting migrant mothers and newborns. Would it do so?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the law on prevention of violence included a clause on educational programmes for perpetrators. The State party was interested in best practices in this field in other countries.
Women made up around 70 per cent of Belarus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At a time, Belarus had four female ambassadors. Appointment to ambassadorial roles was based on competitive selection and there was a shortage of women applicants. Women were broadly represented as deputy chairs of parliamentary committees and made up around 50 per cent of the members of local councils. Belarus aimed to improve women’s representation in all fields.
The Committee’s assessments related to repression were not appropriate. The protests that took place in Belarus over the reporting period were in many cases not peaceful. Certain extremist actions were taken by media workers. The Government was working to increase understanding of the situation.
In 2023, a new law on the activities of civil society was adopted that required organizations to re-register. Many non-governmental organizations had not completed the new registration procedure and had been shut down. Citizens were entitled to renew the activities of previous non-governmental organizations.
Belarus strived to eradicate statelessness. The number of stateless women in Belarus had significantly decreased by around 5,000 persons over the past 10 years, thanks to the work of authorities in collaboration with United Nations bodies. The State supported stateless persons and their children to apply for Belarussian citizenship. It was continuing work towards ratification of the United Nations conventions on statelessness. The Government had not received reports of unlawful treatment of stateless persons. Stateless persons in Belarus were primarily citizens of the former Soviet Union. Their numbers were low; the number of stateless children was less than 10. To receive citizenship, people needed to demonstrate that they had sufficient income and had not committed offences.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert said Belarus had near universal enrolment of girls and boys in primary education. Educational instructions could reproduce harmful tropes of men as breadwinners and women as caregivers. What measures were in place to enforce the role of men as caregivers? Only 23 per cent of persons in science, technology, engineering and maths education were women. What measures were in place to promote their participation? Only 17 per cent of university professors were female. How would this be addressed? Many students had been arrested and prosecuted for their engagement in protest movements. Nine of the 11 students detained were women, including a woman professor. What was the status of these women?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said traditional values in Belarus promoted families with children. Many educational programmes aimed to uphold traditional values and promote gender equality and the equal roles of men and women. Around 52 per cent of higher education students were women. Around 40 per cent of workers in the information technology sphere were women. The Government was implementing incentives and other measures to attract girls to science, technology, engineering and maths careers.
Students were detained on the grounds that they had broken a criminal law. There was no persecution of students simply for exercising freedom of expression.
Questions by a Committee Expert
One Committee Expert said the employment rate of men was 72 per cent compared to 63 per cent for women. Although the list of closed professions for women had been reduced significantly, significant barriers for women accessing the labour market remained, and the list itself was a form of discrimination. Women were underrepresented in higher-paid industries. Workplace harassment remained common and legislation did not provide adequate remedies for victims and penalties for perpetrators. Detained women were legally required to engage in labour; this was a form of modern slavery. In July 2022, all independent trade unions were banned in Belarus. What protection mechanisms were available related to workplace sexual harassment? Was there a national action plan for addressing the gender pay gap? When would the State party abolish forced labour for prisoners?
In 2017, the State introduced pension reform, raising the retirement age. Many citizens had lost their pensions due to the reforms. Why did men and women have different pension ages?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the rate of employment for women from 15 to 74 was 63 per cent, whereas the employment rate for women of working age was above 80 per cent. Belarus promoted equal pay for work of equal value. Overall, women earned around 75 per cent of what men earned. In the transport sector and the agricultural sector, wage gaps were much lower. The State party was implementing measures to reduce the gender pay gap. Women were now able to work in professions that were previously not accessible, such as truck drivers. The State party was encouraging men to take parental leave. Women who experienced workplace harassment could report the incident to local authorities and receive remedies.
The Supreme Court had ruled that trade unions were to be closed when their activities were harmful to public interests or State values. The federation of trade unions covered almost all unions in the country. It promoted general and collective agreements, which provided additional social and labour rights for workers.
Women earned 92.5 per cent of the pension earned by men. Less than one per cent of the elderly were poor. Women could continue working after they reached pension age; around 20 per cent of women did so. The Presidential Decree on Employment did not punish individuals who were not working. Under the decree, women who were not working had the right to access State subsidies.
The State party was exerting efforts to address the gender pay gap. The national action plan on gender equality, which was based on the Committee’s previous recommendations, introduced measures to support female entrepreneurs and workers.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert said there had been significant advances in the field of public health in Belarus in recent years, but access to medicines was better in cities than in rural areas, and the quality of healthcare had declined nation-wide. How was the State party supporting equal access to affordable healthcare for women from vulnerable groups? What measures were in place to remove obstacles to accessing abortions? Did both men and women need to undergo cancer screenings before they could obtain a driver’s licence?
Women with disabilities faced barriers in accessing sexual and reproductive health services. How was the State party meeting the needs of women with disabilities in this regard? Some women with disabilities had been pressured to hand over their children to the State. How would the State party address the discrimination faced by women with disabilities? How did the delegation respond to reports of sterilisation of women with disabilities?
Women with HIV reportedly faced systematic discrimination in health care. The Penal Code sanctioned the transmission of HIV regardless of the circumstances. What measures were in place to support women with HIV? What was the situation of sexual and reproductive health education?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said that in Belarus, medical assistance for persons with HIV was provided in line with health protocols from 2018 and 2022. In 2018, Belarus had been certified as being free from mother-to-child transmission of HIV. There were around 27,000 HIV positive people in the State. The State party worked closely with non-governmental organizations to provide treatment for HIV positive people. Around 95 per cent of HIV positive people were receiving retroviral treatment. Women formerly had to present certificates from gynaecologists to receive a driver’s licence; as of last year, this was no longer necessary. A draft law had been developed to decriminalise unintentional transmission of HIV. Penalties for the deliberate transmission of HIV would remain.
The protection of maternal and child health was a priority for the State. Women who sought abortions could receive free counselling. Over five years, these counselling sessions had prevented 23,000 abortions. Pregnancies were interrupted only when the pregnant woman provided permission.
All women, including women with disabilities, had access to medical assistance without discrimination. Resources were set aside to allow for high quality medical care of the population.
The World Health Organization had highly rated the medical care provided in Belarus. The assessment that the quality of medical care had declined in recent years was not in line with reality. Mobile health clinics provided in-home medical care in rural areas. The State party was addressing shortages in healthcare staff. It had difficulties in accessing certain types of medications due to sanctions from Western countries.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert commended measures reforming regulations on universal social protection and access to support funds for entrepreneurs. Were there schemes guiding social protection for workers in the informal sector? What steps had been taken to incorporate gender considerations into the tax regime? What percentage of business grants were received by female entrepreneurs over the past five years? How had technological training helped to bridge gender gaps in digital fields? How was the State party strengthening women’s role in sports and cultural activities and addressing stereotypes related to sports and culture?
Another Committee Expert congratulated Belarus on co-sponsoring the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime and for implementing measures to protect elder women in digital spheres. What social security and economic policies were in place for elderly women? Belarus had a high number of criminal cases related to HIV. Transmission of HIV was penalised with imprisonment of up to five years. Was the State party rethinking this law?
Women with disabilities’ right to work could only be realised after a medical examination. How would the State party allow for the full realisation of these women’s right to work?
Women in prisons were reportedly denied access to menstrual products. How would the State party ensure that all detained women were treated in a dignified manner? Belarus had in 2022 broadened its definition of pornography to include non-traditional relationships. How would this affect the lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer community? Were the rights of indigenous women considered in plans to develop a second nuclear powerplant in the State?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said there were around 400,000 people engaged in entrepreneurship in Belarus, 40 per cent of whom were women. There was a framework for supporting women entrepreneurs, including in rural areas, and norms and laws aimed to support small businesses. Special taxation measures were provided to women entrepreneurs. The share of women entrepreneurs had increased by around 10 per cent in recent years. A State support programme for the unemployed had been established; almost half of all beneficiaries were women.
In 2023, nine women had been penalised for transmitting HIV and 12 women were penalised in 2022. The State party was continuing to reduce the stringency of HIV legislation.
There was a Government mechanism which visited prisons regularly to examine living conditions. The Attorney-General also monitored compliance with legislation on prisons. Access to all forms of medical care was granted to detainees. All detainees could file complaints to courts related to the lawfulness of their detention as well as other problems. Prisoners who violated prison regimes were placed in solitary confinement.
The State party had a plan for implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It supported employers who hired persons with disabilities and provided training to help persons with disabilities access work. An act on quotas for persons with disabilities in the workplace had been implemented.
Legislative changes addressed the circulation of products that harmed public morality. They were not expected to have an impact on the lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex community. People could choose the type of relationship they had.
The impact on human health of the State’s nuclear power plants was negligible. Belarus upheld the highest standards of safety.
Women were being encouraged to participate in sports traditionally favoured by men.
Questions by a Committee Expert
ELGUN SAFAROV, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Belarus, asked if the State party had statistics on the amount of property inherited by women. How did courts protect women’s property rights in divorce proceedings? How were children’s rights protected in international adoption proceedings? The dialogue and the Committee’s recommendations would help with protecting the rights of women in Belarus.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Belarus’ legislation on divorce promoted the best interests of the child. Mediation was increasingly used in custody cases. The interests of the mother and father were duly protected. Belarus worked with several States on regulating international adoptions. The State party monitored families who had adopted Belarussian children to ensure that their rights were upheld.
Concluding Remarks
LARYSA BELSKAYA, Permanent Representative of Belarus to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for the dialogue. Belarus had achieved much in terms of gender equality and empowering women. The discussion helped the State party to identify the remaining issues to be addressed. The Belarussian population supported the State’s measures, but there was more to be done. The Committee’s recommendations would be carefully considered by the National Council on Gender Equality and used to construct the next national action plan on gender equality
NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Chair, thanked the delegation for its engagement with the Committee. The dialogue had provided insights into the achievements made in Belarus and the areas in which further progress was needed. The Committee commended the State party for its efforts and encouraged it to implement the Committee’s recommendations for the benefit of all women and girls in Belarus.
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