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YWCA Day in Belarus

Information about celebration of YWCA Day in Belarus

Theme for the YWCA Day in 2008: LISTEN to she who speaks: Women Leading Change.

On April 20, 2008 YWCA of Belarus hold its regular meeting of the Executive Committee, attended by 15 members, including chairpersons of local associations.

On the threshold of the YWCA Day –April 24, we invited a wonderful woman to our meeting – Ludmila Petina. Nowadays she is a co-chairperson of the Independent Women’s Democratic Movement in Belarus. Since early 1990ies, after the break of the Soviet Union she actively participates in political life of our country. She has an outstanding appearance, beautiful and charming. She is clever, very active, a good public speaker, a confirmed feminist. She says that she was born with the idea of equality. She had a hard experience in childhood. Being a girl and watching life around her, she understood that men are often unfair in relations with women that the society doesn’t’ give the same opportunities to women as it gives to men. She is able to transfer her ideas to different social groups. She is mobile, visits regions quite often, even the furthest parts of Belarus. She is able to understand every woman and support her, inspire her. She does a lot to unite women in our country and abroad.

It was Ludmila Petina, who brought the information about YWCA, world movement of women from Western Europe. It was her, who initiated the creation of this organization in Belarus. She did a lot to register officially YWCA in our country. We used her experience a lot to establish and develop our association. In 1996, when YWCA was registered, she was the first General Secretary. But she didn’t stay for long in our organization. After one year, when she realized, that we are able to go on ourselves, she left us to develop women’s movement further.

Since than we cooperate with her and with the organization she is chairing at the present time. Ludmila is an example of a woman, that inspires, that shows how much a woman can do for other women, for the positive change in society, for establishment of international contacts.

During our meeting with Ludmila we discussed many urgent issues of women’s movement development. Our leaders of local associations got a good charge of energy to continue work in their organizations.

To celebrate April 24 all local YWCA organizations will organize meetings with women, who can be an example for other women as bearers of social changes.