How Belarusian Women Fight Against Lukashenka

Even the dictator’s former electorate – women of retirement age, – rose against him.

Homel resident Maryja Bystrankova, like most of the Belarusian pensioners, lives on the verge of poverty. As she says, her modest pension is enough to pay for utilities, medicines and bread. And the woman did not hold the bitter truth back on holiday. A lot of women received congratulations and gifts on the eighth of March. But she didn’t.

"My life is hard. There is no help from anywhere. When you go to the officials – there’s only humiliation. They threaten me with the police," – the pensioner told Belsat journalists.

Seventeen years ago Maryja Bystrankova lost the most precious possession.

Her only son died of the consequences of the Afghan war injuries. The single woman with a disability looked for help from the authorities. All to no avail. The pensioner tells how she finally lost her confidence in Lukashenka. And in the middle of the nineties everything was different.

"I went to Rahachou, to Zhlobin and many others districts. I always used to agitate: vote only for him. Lukashenka enjoys life thanks to ordinary people, thanks to such fools as me," – the woman complains.

Today Maryja Bystrankova can be seen among the protesters in Homel. A pensioner demonstrates solidarity with those who fight against illegal and unjust power.

There are more and more women of retirement age among the protesters

Previously, such situation seemed to be impossible.

Women articulated their questions and claims against Lukashenka and his officials like never before on marches of disagreement in different cities of the country.

"Please tell me why in other countries a woman, who is engaged in housekeeping, is a wife and mother, and she is a parasite in Belarus?!" – a participant of the protest in Brest says.