One out of every three women in the Belarus experience physical violence by an intimate partner every year. 77% is a percentage of Belarusian women who will be victims of different forms of violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes. Every fourth woman suicide case is caused by domestic abuse in the country. 80% domestic abuse cases in Belarus would never come to trial. 

Belarusian women de facto are defenseless while Belarusian men de jure are unpunished. Firstly, because of lack of effective and awareness-raising preventive informational measures in the country. It’s a common situation women who are in the situation have no idea how to take an action against abuser. Secondly, because of existent patriarchal tradition of Belarusian medium. Thirdly, because of lack (two in the whole country) of special shelters or shelter-type organizations for domestic abuse victims. Fourthly, because of lack of governmental or social initiatives for national action plan and legal reforms to strengthen protective and punitive measures to cope with and end domestic abuse.

These women are clients of the public association “Radislava”. This organization was established twelve years ago by women who had suffered from regular domestic violence to help other women in similar situation. All of them faced social stigmatization and inadequate measures taken by the state to combat domestic violence. Still they struggled and won a victory, and they are full of energy to reveal their stories and even their faces and thus to show an example for those women, who suffer from domestic violence.