Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MINSK106
2006-02-03 07:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Minsk
Cable title:  

WOMEN,S POLITICAL WILL IS STRONG BUT UNDERUTILIZED

Tags:  PGOV PHUM KWMN SCUL BO 
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RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 3295
RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA PRIORITY 1534
RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS PRIORITY 3517
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C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000106 

SIPDIS

G/IWI FOR C. PONTICELLI AND G. CAVIN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KWMN SCUL BO
SUBJECT: WOMEN,S POLITICAL WILL IS STRONG BUT UNDERUTILIZED

REF: 05 MINSK 1547

C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000106

SIPDIS

G/IWI FOR C. PONTICELLI AND G. CAVIN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KWMN SCUL BO
SUBJECT: WOMEN,S POLITICAL WILL IS STRONG BUT UNDERUTILIZED

REF: 05 MINSK 1547


1. (C) Summary: On January 17, DCM met with Belarusian
Organization of Working Women (BOWW) representative to
discuss the political mood of women on the eve of the
presidential elections, BOWW's strategy to support the
opposition candidates and the organization's future projects
for the post-election period. The BOWW representative
complained that the political opposition has rebuffed her
organization's offer to support the political campaign with
its impressive network throughout the country. End Summary.


2. (C) On January 17, DCM and Poloff met with Belarusian
Organization of Working Women (BOWW) representative Irina
Zhikhar at the BOWW headquarters in Minsk. Zhikhar informed
DCM that she was not sure how much longer BOWW's offices
could remain in its current premises belonging to the
Presidential Administration since the GOB has repeatedly
threatened to evict BOWW because of the organization's
"subversive activities."

Political Mood of Women
--------------


3. (C) Zhikhar described the political mood of women on the
eve of the presidential elections as sympathetic but
cautious; women understand the need to support the democratic
process and therefore want to sign or vote for Milinkevich,
but they also recognize that they have to be able to live in
Belarus after the elections. Zhikhar offered that there
seemed to have been more hope for change among the population
before the 2001 presidential elections. Zhikhar, however,
did highlight that among the people BOWW has surveyed, there
appears to be a greater acceptance of women playing a more
active role in politics. Zhikhar stated that if women do not
actively involve themselves in politics, then nothing will
change.

The Election Is Coming: Here's How We Can Help
-------------- -


4. (C) Zhikhar expressed BOWW's willingness to actively
support opposition candidates, and in particular 10
Coalition candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich, in the upcoming
presidential elections. She said BOWW's members have offered
to work "like soldiers" for Milinkevich so long as he

presented them with a clear strategy. Zhikhar said that the
women trust Milinkevich and are ready to risk a lot for his
campaign, but that they are wary of the rest of his campaign
team.


5. (C) Zhikhar mentioned that thus far the opposition
campaign has not welcomed the group's help. (Note: This is
not the first time post has heard an example of the 10
Coalition not fully utilizing offers of support. On January
9, youth group Malady Front (MF) representative Sergei
Lisichonak told poloff although MF is supposedly part of the
official campaign team and has offered to run various
components of the campaign, the Milinkevich's team has
continually assigned MF minor tasks and has not used MF to
its full potential.) Despite the lack of response from
Milinkevich's team, BOWW has taken the initiative to develop
five-pronged strategy for the group to participate in the
electoral process.


6. (C) BOWW is currently ghost writing a set of
recommendations to present to Milinkevich on February 15 for
inclusion in his official campaign platform. Zhikhar stated
that BOWW has met with experts and women from the regions.
She said that the responses from eight focus groups that BOWW
interviewed as part of an NDI-funded project gave BOWW a keen
insight of what issues the campaign should highlight.
Zhikhar claims, however that Milinkevich's team does not seem
to be in touch with Belarusians and described an incident
involving holiday cards Milinkevich sent out that enraged the
protestant community and caused him to lose their support.
Zhikhar said that if Milinkevich had asked her advice about
the cards, she would never have allowed him to send them.


7. (C) Zhikhar informed DCM that BOWW members are collecting
nomination signatures for opposition candidates. She
stressed that each member of BOWW decided for herself if she
wanted to collect signatures and approached her selected
candidate on her own accord. (Note: Zhikhar said that
approximately 20 BOWW members chose to collect signatures for
Kozulin and the rest decided to work for Milinkevich.)


8. (C) BOWW plans to get as many of its members as possible
onto the precinct electoral commissions during the elections.
Zhikhar feared that Lukashenko's team will receive the
majority of the positions on the commissions, but BOWW is
still committed to trying to obtain as many seats as
possible. In addition, Zhikhar stated BOWW could recruit and
attract supporters for the opposition through its social
work. Finally, Zhikhar told DCM BOWW is ready to compensate
its director, Maria Leva, for the next six months if she
postpones her retirement and offers her services as an
advisor at 10 Coalition campaign headquarters.

Life After the Elections
--------------


9. (C) Zhikhar outlined a number of projects that BOWW plans
to execute after the elections. Zhikhar stated that BOWW is
going to work with Voluntas head Galina Schwartz on several
cooperative efforts to help children with mental
deficiencies. (Note: Zhikhar said that the idea for these
projects was born when she met Schwartz at the Minsk Women's
Issues Working Group reception that DCM hosted to provide
active women from all regions in Belarus with an opportunity
to network and share ideas (reftel).) Zhikhar stated that
after the elections, BOWW will focus on reorienting itself as
a medium for people to realize their potential; that is,
instead of providing people with help or answers to their
questions, BOWW will teach women how to solve their own
problems and in turn to help others. Zhikhar informed DCM of
BOWW's plans to continue publishing its bulletin highlighting
accomplishments of working women, information about the
organization itself, and issues of concern to women. Zhikhar
promised that BOWW w
ill carry on its efforts to fight for fair employment
contracts and will outline this struggle on its website
www.kontraktunet.info. Zhikhar stated that BOWW plans to
launch a program to help women GOB employees transition into
the private sector. Other projects Zhikhar stated that BOWW
will focus on include combating domestic violence, creating
an internship program with a successful businesswoman for
young girls, and bolstering quality of life and communal
housing services.

Comment
--------------


10. (C) BOWW is the largest and most organized women's group
in Belarus, has made significant contributions in social work
for women, and is seemingly in tune with the political mood
of Belarusian women. As writing its own platform and
attempting to obtain seats on the electoral commissions
suggest, BOWW is determined to be a part of the democratic
electoral process with or without support from Milinkevich's
campaign team. The 10 Coalition's lack of cooperation with
BOWW demonstrates the need for Belarus' democratic forces and
parties to get over their Soviet era chauvinism and recognize
and cooperate with women's organizations who can help them
reach a wider spectrum of supporters during the election
campaign.
Krol