The book “Destinies of women are the destiny of united Belarus” by Alina Grishkevich was successfully presented before the diplomatic corps at the UN Office at Geneva, Switzerland on the occasion of the Year of the Belarusian Woman, BelTA has learned.
The presentation of the book became one of the central events of the Year of the Belarusian Woman that have been organized on the international platform by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Belarus to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva.
The presentation of the book from the BelTA publishing house by its author met a warm response from heads of diplomatic missions of the UN member states, including key allies and a wide range of friendly countries of the Global South.
Opening the event, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus to the UN Office in Geneva Larisa Belskaya noted that in our country immense attention is paid at the state level to the matters of women’s empowerment. President Aleksandr Lukashenko declared the current year the Year of the Belarusian Woman to emphasize the role of women in the life of the state and society as well as their huge contribution to the development of the country and the education of future generations.
During the presentation a substantial international discussion took place about the role of effective policy for women’s empowerment in the world. Diplomats from various countries and continents highly appreciated the achievements of Belarus in gender policy, support for motherhood and family.
Guests were impressed by the stories in the book telling about the destinies of Belarusian women that reflect the country’s history, the path of its independent development, the courage of Belarusians during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, spiritual values, and the huge creative power of the Belarusian people.
Alina Grishkevich, author of the book “Destinies of women are the destiny of united Belarus”, answered a number of questions about the idea of the project, the destinies of the book’s female characters, and creative plans for the further development of the women’s theme.
Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Office in Geneva Gennady Gatilov stressed: “There are not so many books like that, and for the first time such a publication is presented on the UN platform in Geneva. It is a wonderful project both in terms of content and design. Perhaps this is the only book not so much about politicians, but mostly about ordinary women. I am deeply grateful to the author for this art project, which reflects the unique destinies of Belarusian women. The author gathered together the destinies of very different women from different regions of the country, different in their life paths, and this deserves the highest praise. In my experience of working at the UN, there has never been a book like this.”
The Russian diplomat went on saying: “Thanks to Belarus, this is the first such experience on the Geneva platform. It is very creative and should be developed and replicated. Women make decisions both on world politics and the development of their countries as well as problems facing their peoples. The role of women in society is very high. And this Belarusian book reflects this. I congratulate the author on such an important project, which was successfully presented today before the foreign diplomatic corps in Geneva.”
Deputy Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China Li Xiaomei said: “I am glad that the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Belarus participated in the publication of the book, which helps promote, including in the international arena, ideas relating to women, the realization of women’s rights, equality, and justice that are important for all countries of the world.”
The representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the UN Office in Geneva shared the impressions: “I am moved by the stories of ordinary women, through whose destinies the history of the state passes. It is important to have such books in libraries of different countries that show the world the real destinies and real contribution of women to the development of their country.”
A Palestinian diplomat admired the courage of Belarusian women during the war and spoke about the resilience of her female compatriots in current realities.
The presentation served as the basis for a constructive dialogue on traditional values, family traditions, and the importance of spirituality in today’s complex world.
Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe Ever Mlilo stressed: “A wonderful Belarusian project. It is important that the book about women is written by a woman. This shows the opportunities women enjoy in Belarus. In our country we do not tell our stories about ordinary women enough. I will definitely talk about the Belarusian book in Zimbabwe in order to borrow the idea from Belarusians.”
During the event leaders and diplomats of the missions of Nicaragua, Laos, Mali, Palestine, Venezuela, Eritrea, and other states also spoke up. They welcomed the idea of presenting a book about Belarusian women in the UN, sharing approaches and achievements of gender policy in their countries.
The book “Destinies of women are the destiny of united Belarus” talks about seven Belarusian women. The publication has been shipped to more than 30 countries of the world. Now it is also available in Switzerland, including at the UN platform in Geneva.
Alina Grishkevich is an honored figure of culture of the Republic of Belarus, a leading BelTA columnist, member of the Union of Writers of Belarus, member of the Union of Writers of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, and Deputy Chairwoman of the Belarus–China Friendship Society.
