Shadow report on Domestic Violence Problem in Belarus

To the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women 90th session, February 3-21, 2025. Examination of the report submitted by the government of the Republic of Belarus

The Shadow Report on the Situation of Domestic Violence was created by the Coalition of Belarusian Women’s Organiыations, Initiatives and Activists in Exile against Gender-Based and Domestic Violence. The document contains an analysis of the state’s efforts to prevent domestic violence and provide assistance to victims at the legislative and practical levels, with six main conclusions and 11 recommendations to the state. The implementation of the domestic violence (DV) related legislationis taking place during political crisis, state violence, and against the backdrop of the massive repression of civil society organizations. All specialised NGOs, which since the 2000 provided gender-sensitive assistance to DV survivors with a human rights-based approach, have been liquidated. This has a negative impact on DV prevention and the provision of assistance to victims, especially women with children, the elderly, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ persons. Most of DV criminal cases remain private prosecutions, i.e. they are initiated only based on written reports of victims, who carry burden of proof (where they have the full responsibility of gathering evidence about the incidents). Private prosecution cases can also be terminated by reconciliation of the parties. Police pay more attention to political activity of DV victims than to protection measures and bringing aggressors to justice. Protection orders have limited validity term and do not contribute to long-term solution. Child protection authorities manipulate and threaten women to remove children from the family due to “socially dangerous situation” if women seek help from police. State “crisis rooms” do not provide specialised assistance to victims.

The report also addresses issues such as inter-agency co-operation; DV statistics (the State hides these statistics from the public), and decreasing number of the awareness raising campaigns about the DV problem and victims’ rights after 2020.

Belarusian Coalition of Civil Society Organiыations, Initiatives and Activists (in exile) against Gender-based and Domestic Violence (the NGOs Coalition).

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