Asya Ilnitskaya at the first Sunday march on Aug.16 in Minsk, Belarus with a banner that reads, "Foreign puppeteers? Where are my 60 rubles?" in reference to remarks by Interior Minister Yuri Karayev that female protesters were getting paid 60 rubles by foreign powers to take part in the protests.
NBC: How Belarusian women became a strong presence in anti-Lukashenko protests
From the weekly protests to the leaders organizing and calling for change, Belarusian women have had a strong presence.
Staring down a masked man with a rifle, standing alongside dozens of other women all linking arms in solidarity, Anastasiya Antoniuk was prepared to be taken to jail.
The 26-year-old copywriter was taking part in a protest against the detention of an opposition leader, one of many demonstrations since Belarus’ authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, was named the winner of a contested election on Aug. 9.
In a photo of the incident that has garnered international attention, Antoniuk can be seen standing in the first row, in a brown coat, defiant.
A compelling and unavoidable theme of Belarus’ popular protest movement calling for the removal of Lukashenko, now into its sixth week, is the central role played by women.
From the weekly protests to the leaders organizing and calling for change, women have had a strong presence.
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WNU Editor: They have certainly stepped up. But will they be effective? The jury is still out.
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