She Survived a Nightmare: A film about the situation of Belarusian Women

The number of Belarusian women fleeing to neighbouring Lithuania in search of safety and stability has increased in the past months. With almost 48,000 people registered, Belarusians are the second-largest immigrant community in Lithuania. Women, who are often opposition activists or journalists, have been targeted by the Belarusian government for their vocal opposition to the current regime.

According to Anaïs Marin, Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus, "women have shown extraordinary levels of inventiveness, self-organization, leadership, and resiliency by organizing peaceful protests and marches after the 2020 elections." However, many of these women have been subjected to abuse from Belarusian authorities, including harassment, incarceration, and even torture.

As a result, they were forced to flee and seek refuge in Lithuania, often leaving their homes and loved ones behind.

However, on the other hand, the situation of Belarusian refugee women in Lithuania is concerning. There are some self-help organisations that are not only supporting a safe refuge to women out of Belarus but also remain vocal about women`s discriminatory treatment in Lithuanian refugee camps.

The link below provides eye-opening documentation produced by our partner Our House on the plight of women human rights activists in Belarus.

This is a story about a woman who was denounced to the KGB by her mother. The KGB tried to take her children away from her and there was a serious risk of her arrest, thus she had to flee Belarus illegally through the forest to save herself and the children.

Watch the film here: She survived a nightmare: A film about a woman who saved her children and escaped from Belarus - YouTube

Image: Women protesting in Belarus (TUT.BY)