Authors

Discussion

My research entails observing how Belarussian feminist groups have used the media to tackle the common gender stereotypes and entrenched gender norms, where a woman’s role is defined primarily as wife and mother. This issue came into the spotlight and stirred feminists to be more active in the media for two reasons. One being the fraudulent elections of Lukashenko and the violence that came with it, the other disheartening issue was the election campaign of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who frequently reinforced gender stereotypes in her election campaign. 

The Post Soviet space comes with its own unique challenges linked especially regarding gender inequality with a deep-rooted tendency toward traditional values and authoritarianism. However, despite this, women in Belarus have turned to the media to fight for their rights. Besides this, Belarus is an intriguing region, because while mechanisms for gender equality are codified, significant caveats remain.

My main focus is analyzing the media attention FemGroup received in their protests in 2020 against the fraudulent elections of Lukashenko to bring more attention to domestic violence. Their protests were significant as they shed light on striking parallels between the state-sponsored violence on the streets and violence towards domestic partners at home. The question arises if the characteristic of domestic violence as a private matter will shift to the public sphere. The research will compare various Belarussian feminist movements and its impact on domestic violence legislation and gender equality in Belarus.