Gendered Dimensions of Political Repressions in Belarus. Tatsiana Ziniakova

In this report, independent human rights expert Tatsiana Ziniakova analyses the role gender played in Belarusian protests in 2020. On the one hand, gender was a major factor in mobilising and creating solidarity in civil society, and, on the other, gender was a constant source of misogynistic and dehumanising rhetoric from the Belarusian authorities.

As the political and human rights crisis in Belarus continues to deteriorate, with the numbers of political prisoners going up daily, it is crucial to analyze how the crisis affects vulnerable groups. Women are one of the most notable of such groups. Despite gender stereotypes and long-standing patterns of a government suppression of women’s political activism, which are well-entrenched in Belarusian society,  women’s participation became a remarkable trait of Belarusian protest movement.

International Media Support (IMS), 2022