Julia, Irina and Darya – Three Very Good Reasons for Hope in Belarus

Dear friends,
Dear laureates, 
Dear guests,

For 30 years, Alexander Lukashenko has governed Belarus with a dictatorial fist and was reinstalled as president in a sham election just this January. The media have been brought into line; many independent news portals have been blocked, and anyone expressing criticism risks prison and penal camp. More than 1,200 people are currently imprisoned on political grounds; shielded from relatives and lawyers, under forced labour and, in some cases, without medical care. More than ten political prisoners are being held in solitary confinement, with four having died in custody last year – all of this less than 1,000 kilometres from here as the crow flies.

It is clear that we in Europe are heading towards a time of crisis fraught with many dangers. We no longer have any allies among the major powers – the USA, Russia and China – who want to divide up the world. Right-wing extremists and fascists are appreciably gaining power and influence all over Europe (not least in the Bundestag elections here in Germany just two weeks ago); the rights of women, minorities and the persecuted are being called into question, discourses are hardening and drifting dangerously far to the right. And just across the EU borders lies a dictatorship in Belarus, as wanted by Russia. And Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia's brutal war of aggression for three years. For all my conviction in the power of democracy, I find hope and optimism increasingly difficult in these times. 

This makes the dedication and commitment shown by this year's laureates all the more impressive to me. With great determination, Darya Afanasyeva, Irina Alkhovka and Julia Mickiewicz have stood up for and continue to stand up for women's rights, representation and participation and speak out about gender-based discrimination and violence – without the certainty that they themselves will not become the target of repression and be exposed to risks even while outside their homeland. They show us once again, that the path to gender equality and a just society not only goes through legislation and institutional reforms, but through diverse and persistent civil society "doing". 

What’s not an option: giving up the fight for dignity, rights and democracy. Facing the problems pragmatically, seeking dialogue with the authorities, making small change happen, and helping people – that was a recipe for success in Belarus for a long time. As the Heinrich Böll Foundation, we have supported training courses for police officers and social workers to raise their awareness of gender-based violence – today such projects would be inconceivable. After the rigged presidential elections in 2020, many committed individuals were forced to leave the country; human rights, cultural, environmental and educational organisations were dissolved, as were organisations in the social sector. Nevertheless, many people remain committed; in Belarus and in exile, for example in one of the many initiatives that have been formed in Poland and the Baltic states. 

People like Darya, Irina and Julia show us that giving up the fight for dignity, rights and democracy is not an option. We must not allow ourselves to be paralysed by hopelessness and fear, even when the threat is real or the fight is thought to be lost. Darya, Irina and Julia are women who demonstrate their drive even under adverse circumstances and do what is possible. They are representative of the many women in the Belarusian democracy movement. The images of Lukashenko's challenger, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, went around the world. After the election fraud, women not only spearheaded huge demonstrations, but also took part in the protests. Many of them paid a high price for this. They were imprisoned or, like our laureates, forced to flee into exile. Darya Afanasieva only managed to do so after surviving more than two years in prison.

That women are becoming stronger and louder gives them strength

Today, five years later, the situation in Belarus itself, but also for the opposition in exile, has not become any easier. With the staged election in January, Lukashenko has cemented his power for another few years. I asked our laureates: do you still have hope? For a democratic and gender-equitable future in Belarus? I was impressed by their answers: what gives them hope is that something is changing among men, too – young men in particular now have less of a problem recognising women's independence and are no longer afraid of splitting the restaurant bill with their girlfriends, for example. It gives them hope to know that women around the world are fighting for a common cause, that they themselves are part of a movement and not alone – that gives them strength. That women are becoming stronger and louder and are voicing their concerns – that gives them strength. And they hope that one day they will no longer have to do all this, but will simply be able to live, return home and go out with their friends.

For me, for us as the jury of the Anne Klein Women's Award, Julia, Irina and Darya themselves are three very good reasons for hope. Because their actions also prove that the regime is not succeeding in destroying the desire for freedom, democratic values and feminist attitudes within Belarusian society. Through their dedication and commitment, Julia, Irina and Darya are shaping the socio-political debates in Belarus from exile and are enabling a counter-narrative to the Russian discourse and the deeply patriarchal view of society held by ruler Lukashenko. With their feminist positions, however, they are also important agents of change within the opposition in exile and, from within which, they fight for gender policy issues and the equal representation and participation of women.

Feminism in and from Belarus takes place in a context in which women face considerable obstacles, not only in political, but also in social and economic spheres. The patriarchal structures that permeate the country make it particularly difficult for women to demand their rights. Nevertheless, Darya, Irina and Julia have never slowed down. They have shown that women are not only victims of repression, but also active agents of change.

Democracy is feminist or it won't be

Latin American feminists have a motto that reads "El futuro será feminista o no será". This equates to something like: "The future is feminist or it won't be". You could also say: "Democracy is feminist or it won’t be", because without the recognition of women's and LGBTIQ rights, without the fight against discrimination and gender-based violence, without equal access to power and political participation for all people – and without women like Julia, Irina and Darya – there will be no real democracy in Belarus or anywhere else in Europe or the world. 

By bestowing the Anne Klein Women's Award, we want to send a signal of solidarity this year and express our respect for the dedication and commitment shown by the three laureates to a free and gender-equitable Belarus in a democratic Europe. The award for these three remarkable women is also a signal to the people of Belarus: we have not forgotten you; we are watching closely – not only for Russian missiles, but also for women's rights and social justice. 

Darya, Irina, Julia – your work is a beacon of hope for us all. Congratulations on this award and thank you for everything you do for women in Belarus and around the world.

Thank you.

» Speech in Belarusian (PDF)