BELARUS

Government
Belarus is a republic with a directly elected President. The population is 10 million, and Belarusian and Russian are the national languages. The current borders of Belarus were created through a 1939 pact with Soviet Premier Josef Stalin and German dictator Adolf Hitler, as part of a ceasefire pact in WWII. The country lost over 2 million citizens during WWII, most from its Jewish population. Following the war, Belarus became part of the Soviet Union. In 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Belarus became an independent country. In 1994, Belarusians held their first democratic election, where they elected current President Alexander Lukashenko. Lukashenko has since survived one more election and one referendum, extending his rule until 2005. According to election monitors, his last elections were neither free nor fair, and political oppression keeps opponents at bay.

The Belarusian Parliament rules by decree, in the same fashion as during the Soviet rule. Women comprise one-eighth of all deputies, but hold less than 10 percent of the deputies in the lower house. Women comprise 46 percent of the Supreme Court judges. President Lukashenko admits that his rule has 'elements of authoritarian rule,' and that he wants to see an equal union of Belarus and Russia. He has exerted control of the education system, trade unions, and even the Academy of Sciences. The claims of a national death squad, aiming to wipe out opposition leaders, have been substantiated by human rights organizations. Civil society lags in Belarus because citizens fear government reprisal for joining nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). NGO leaders claim that intimidation and violence keep most organizations from registering with authorities.

Economy
Since the beginning of independence, the Belarusian economy as floundered, due, in part, to a strong government hold over the market. President Lukashenko completely restricts privatization of the economy, much to the dismay of Russia and Western Europe. The average annual income is $1,290. However, unemployment is at 2.2 percent. This low figure does not reflect 'hidden unemployment' from the industry and agricultural sector. Women make up about half the work force, and they make up the majority of unemployed. Women suffer substantial sexual harassment at work, including repeated sexual assault and beatings. Women rarely report this abuse for fear of losing their jobs.

Media and Human Rights
Under the Belarusian constitution, freedom of expression is guaranteed to all media and journalists. However, the reality is that all media are subject to political pressure to present only the view of the current regime. Publications 'defaming' the government can be banned for one year without any warning or hearing. Many journalists have been arrested, beaten, and tortured by police and 'unknown assailants' in recent years. To avoid these abuses, a few publications and broadcasters operate outside the state. The radio station Radio Baltic Waves broadcasts from Lithuania in order to offer unbiased news to Belarusians. Human rights abuses are widespread in Belarus, including police beatings, tortures, and unauthorized seizures and arrests. Protesters and peaceful demonstrators are frequently arrested and denied the right to free assembly.

Gender Issues
Domestic violence is a serious problem in Belarus. According to a 1999 sociological survey, 29 percent of women experienced physical abuse. However, 40 percent of the same women reportedly 'knew a woman' who had sustained physical injuries due to domestic violence. According to the same survey, only 3 to 5 percent of the women suffering domestic violence reported it to the police, who have no training to deal with the issue. Under the Belarusian Penal Code, spousal abuse and rape are crimes punishable by a fine (for abuse, not rape) of up to 15 years in jail. According to women's rights groups, these sentences are generally enforced by the courts, and police generally assist the victim when he/she is under duress. The major barriers to addressing domestic violence are societal traditions that tell a victim that it is shameful to make family business public. Many women also fear that their abusers will not be arrested, or that they will be blamed for 'dishonoring' their families. Additionally, due to the economy, the majority of abused women (as opposed to abused men) are dependent on their husbands for income and support. Thus, reporting the abuse would most likely mean leaving the home, with potential homelessness or the shame of returning to the birth family. Outside the capital of Minsk, there are very few shelters offering support to women who want to leave their abusers.

Trafficking is criminalized by the Belarusian Penal Code, as of 2001. Punishment for exploiting someone for sexual or domestic services is 1 to 7 years, depending on the severity of the crime. According to law officials, 10 trafficking rings were broken up in 2002. Belarusian girls are trafficked predominantly to Turkey, Israel, and Western Europe. While it is difficult to gauge the extent of the trafficking, officials claim that several thousand Belarusian girls are trafficked each year. In collaboration with La Strada Belarus, an international anti-trafficking organization, the Belarusian Young Women's Christian Center (BYWCO) developed a program to create public awareness of the problem and address the lack of training for government officials in the area of trafficking. The Ministry of the Interior and other government agencies have been highly cooperative in the last year in efforts to assist victims. Women's organizations dealing with violence often assist victims and occasionally provide them temporary shelter during court proceedings against their traffickers. The BYWCO's 7-day-a-week hotline call center receives over 100 inquires each month about trafficking, mostly from families missing their daughters and women considering traveling abroad for reasons other than tourism.

FAIR Fund and Belarus
More information coming soon on FAIR Fund's partners in Belarus.