Introduction

1.In accordance with article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Republic of Belarus submits its eighth periodic report on the implementation of the Convention.

2.The report is compiled in the form of answers to a list of questions provided to Belarus by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women prior to the submission of the eighth periodic report (CEDAW/C/BLR/QPR/8) and also takes into account the concluding observations of the Committee (CEDAW/C/BLR/CO/7).

3.Information provided previously in follow-up to individual concluding observations of the Committee is contained in document CEDAW/C/BLR/CO/7/Add.1.

4.The report was prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, the National Statistical Committee, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and other government agencies of the Republic of Belarus whose competence extends to gender equality and the elimination of discrimination against women.

5.The report contains information on the legislative, administrative and other measures adopted in the Republic of Belarus to implement the provisions of the Convention. It reflects the progress achieved in the advancement of women in the Republic of Belarus during the reporting period, as well as information on the remaining challenges in that area.

6.Information on the implementation by the Republic of Belarus of individual categories of human rights is provided in detail in periodic reports to other human rights treaty bodies: the common core document (HRI/CORE/BLR/2015); the national report for the universal periodic review (A/HRC/WG.6/22/BLR/1); the combined fourth, fifth and sixth periodic reports on the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (E/C.12/BLR/4-6); the fifth periodic report on the implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT/C/BLR/5); the combined eighteenth and nineteenth periodic reports on the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD/C/BLR/18-19); and the third and fourth periodic reports on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC/C/BLR/3-4).

General information

7.Measures to ensure equal opportunities for men and women are an integral part of the social policy of the Republic of Belarus. As of 1 January 2016, some 9,498,400 persons reside in the Republic of Belarus, 4,420,800 of them males, and 5,077,600 of them females. Women make up 53.5 per cent of the population and 49.6 per cent of all individuals employed in the republic’s economy.

8.Over the reporting period, the Republic of Belarus adopted legal, organizational and administrative measures to improve the status of women and protect their rights and interests, which made it possible to make substantial progress towards achieving equal rights and opportunities both inside the country and in the world arena.

9.The Republic of Belarus is one of 15 countries in which women’s human development index (HDI) is equal to or higher than that of men. Our country ranks 31st out of 155 countries in terms of the gender inequality index and 25th in terms of the maternity index.

10.The gender equality policy in the Republic of Belarus is implemented on the basis of national action plans. Over the period since the Fourth World Conference on Women, four national action plans for gender equality (1996-2000, 2001-2005, 2008-2010 and 2011-2015) that took into account the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the recommendations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women have been implemented. National plans are approved by the Government of the Republic of Belarus.

11.The national action plan for gender equality 2016-2020 is being drafted. Non‑governmental organizations and United Nations agencies have been brought in to participate in the drafting, as have State agencies and local executive committees.

12.The period 2011-2015 saw the implementation of an entire array of State programmes with a focus on various facets of the advancement of women, including those involving health, education, social protection and the exercise of the rights to work and to participate in sociopolitical life, among them the national programme for demographic security of the Republic of Belarus for 2011-2015, the comprehensive programme of social services for the period 2011-2015, the State employment promotion programmes (approved annually), the National Plan of Action to Improve the Situation of Children and Protect their Rights for 2012-2016, the special-purpose national programme to improve labour conditions and protection for the period 2011-2015 and the State programme to create a barrier-free living environment for persons with physical disabilities for the period 2011-2015.

13.The participation of women in decision-making and in the realization of their leadership potential is an important aspect of gender equality. Women make up 70.1 per cent of civil servants and 54.7 per cent of the executive heads of organizations and their deputies. Traditionally, more than half the members of electoral commissions in the country’s elections are women. Based on the results of the elections held for deputies to local councils of deputies of the twenty-seventh convocation, which took place on 23 March 2014, some 8,700 women were elected as deputies (46.3 per cent of the total number of deputies). Women head more than 30 per cent of councils of deputies at all territorial levels.

14.As of 1 July 2015, some 67.9 per cent of civil servants working in the judiciary were women.

15.Progress has been made in the collection, analysis and presentation of gender statistics within the framework of implementation of the “Gender Statistics and Scientific Support” section of the National Plan of Action for Gender Equality in the Republic of Belarus 2011-2015. State statistical reports today make it possible to analyse and compare all aspects of the status of women and men in all spheres of life.

16.For monitoring purposes, the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus has developed a system of indicators for gender statistics on the basis of which time series are plotted for the following: the economy, poverty, education, health, demographics, children and adolescents, violence, power and decision-making in the society and in the household, communications and the environment. The system is based on a set of gender indicators of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, with account taken of the national circumstances and the suggestions of the members of the National Council on Gender Policy of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus.

17.Statistics on gender are compiled and processed by the National Statistical Committee in a publication titled Women and Men in the Republic of Belarus (issued once every three years) This compilation provides information on the number of women and men in Belarus, life expectancy, migration flows, morbidity rates, secondary and higher education, employment of men and women in different branches of the economy, and other information illustrating the status of women and men in Belarus.

18.One way in which gender statistics have been improved is through the conduct of special sampling by the National Statistical Committee.

19.In 2012, the National Statistical Committee, with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), implemented the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS4). The results of the survey supplement the country’s existing gender statistics with qualitative indicators, which makes it possible to define the country’s gender issues more accurately.

20.In 2014-2015, the National Statistical Committee, together with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UNICEF, implemented an international technical assistance project to build the capacity of the national statistical system in the production, analysis and dissemination of gender-related information on the population; within the framework of the project, households were surveyed for purposes of studying the population’s daily time use.

21.The survey expanded the existing system of indicators for gender statistics considerably, providing information on the structure of daily activities, the ratio of time spent by women and men on paid and unpaid labour, and other indicators that characterize gender differences in time use.

22.The annex to the report provides official information on the current status of women in the Republic of Belarus (see annex).

23.The constitutional principle of the equality of all citizens underlies the activities of the judicial system of the Republic of Belarus. All citizens of the Republic of Belarus, regardless of sex, are guaranteed the right to protection by the courts against threats to life and health, to their honour and dignity and to their personal liberty and property, as well as other rights and liberties. Judicial institutions ensure adherence to the principle of equality of men and women in accordance with the law.

24.Courts of general jurisdiction of the Republic of Belarus do not keep statistical reports on the number or nature of cases during whose hearing judges made direct reference to the Convention.

25.At the same time, courts have handed down relevant decisions after hearing cases involving suits brought by women who feel that they have been discriminated against in labour relations.

Constitutional, legislative and institutional framework

26.Based on the concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, a study of the advisability of the adoption of a law on ensuring equal rights and opportunities of men and women in Belarus was included in the National Plan of Action for Gender Equality in the Republic of Belarus, 2011-2015.

27.In 2013, the National Centre for Legislative and Legal Research conducted a comprehensive gender analysis of legislation for compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and for the presence of provisions that discriminate against women.

28.The gender analysis showed that national legislation is gender-neutral and contains no provisions that would be discriminatory against women. The principle of equal rights and opportunities of men and women enunciated in the Convention is enshrined in the Constitution and has been further strengthened in national legislation. Most of the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women have already been stipulated in national legislation in general terms.

29.The Constitution guarantees women and men equal opportunities in education, vocational training, employment and promotion at work and in sociopolitical, cultural and other spheres. This norm is fundamental to the drafting and implementation of gender-balanced legislation. It is universal and points to the need for gender balance in all spheres.

30.The general principle of equality is enshrined in laws and regulations such as the Marriage and Family Code, the Criminal Code, the Civil Code, the Labour Code and the Education Code of Belarus.

31.The analysis concluded that it would be premature to adopt an individual statute on matters of gender equality in Belarus in the near future. It would be more worthwhile to amend special statutes that involve a mechanism for exercising a given right in the context of ensuring gender balance.

32.The question of the advisability of adopting a law on ensuring equal rights and opportunities for men and women in Belarus was examined in 2013 in a session of the National Council on Gender Policy of the Council of Ministers, with the participation of deputies from the House of Representatives and members of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly. The conclusions of the National Centre for Legislative and Legal Research were supported by the members of the National Council.

33.The right to equal protection of rights and legal interests, without discrimination, is enshrined in the Civil Code (article 2), the Code of Administrative Procedure and Enforcement (article 2.12), the Code of Criminal Procedure (article 20) and a number of other laws and regulations of the Republic of Belarus.

34.Under part 3 of article 3 of the Criminal Code, “offenders are equal before the law and shall be criminally liable regardless of their sex, race, ethnicity, language, origin, wealth or official status, place of residence, attitude towards religion, beliefs, membership in public associations or other factors”. A similar provision is contained in part 3 of article 4.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences.

35.Article 190 of the Criminal Code, which specifies liability for intentional direct or indirect violation or restriction of rights and freedoms or the establishment of direct or indirect advantages for citizens — on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, language, origin, wealth or official status, place of residence, attitude towards religion, beliefs or membership in public associations — resulting in substantial harm to the rights, liberties and lawful interests of citizens, serves as an instrument for the legal protection of citizens against discrimination In the period 2011-2015, no cases under this article were filed with or heard by the courts.

36.The Constitutional Court decision of 17 July 2009 on ensuring the equal rights of citizens in the sphere of labour noted that an employer’s inclusion of requirements based on age, place of residence or other circumstances that could be deemed discriminatory in job (vacancy) announcements creates the prerequisites for the violation of citizens’ rights and liberties enshrined in the Constitution, including the right of women to opportunities equal to those of men in labour and in promotion at work (part 5 of article 32). On the basis of that, for purposes of ensuring the guarantees of the exercise of citizens’ constitutional right to work and the comprehensiveness of legal regulation in the sphere of labour relations, the Constitutional Court declared the need to insert the appropriate additions into article 14 of the Labour Code and proposed that the Council of Ministers prepare a draft law on the insertion of the additions into the Code.

37.Part 1 of article 14 of the Labour Code has been revised by the Act of 8 January 2014 on amending the Labour Code (it entered into force on 25 July 2014). The list of characteristics regarded as discriminatory in labour relations has been expanded to include age and place of residence.

Thus, under the current provisions of article 14, all discrimination — namely, the restriction of employment rights or the granting of any benefit on the basis of sex, race, ethnic origin, language, religious or political convictions, membership or non-membership in trade unions or other public associations, wealth or official status, age, place of residence or physical or mental disabilities that do not hinder the performance of the job duties concerned or other circumstances unrelated to professional qualifications or not specified in the worker’s job description — is prohibited.

In addition, the list of discriminatory conditions is open, that is, any conditions that are unrelated to professional qualifications or are not associated with job description or status of the worker may be deemed discriminatory in the manner prescribed by law.

38.Discrimination is not permitted either in specific measures or in the provisions of law, of collective agreements or of other local regulations or in employment agreements on any aspect of labour relations (such as hiring, promotion, employment agreement termination, remuneration, terms or labour protection).

39.Under part 4 of article 14, persons who believe they have been subjected to discrimination in the area of labour relations have the right to petition a court for the discontinuation of such discrimination.

40.Such petitions are handled by courts of general jurisdiction in the manner prescribed by the Civil Procedure Code.

41.Republic of Belarus statutes in the sphere of labour relations establish additional guarantees for certain categories of employees.

42.Under Presidential Decree No. 180 of 12 April 2000 on the Procedure for the Application of Presidential Edict No. 29 of 26 July 1999, the term of a contract is as follows when a contract is being concluded with a worker with whom an employment agreement for an indefinite period had been concluded, when a contract is being extended or when a new contract is being concluded:

(1)For a female employee who is on maternity leave or a mother (or, in her place, the father, or a guardian) who is on parental leave to care for a child under the age of 3 — at least until the end of such leave;

(2)For an employee who is near retirement age and whose performance has been conscientious with no record of disciplinary misconduct or other workplace offences — at least until attainment of the generally established retirement age.

43.Where the mother (or, in her place, the father, or a guardian) of a child under the age of 3 returns to work before or after completing childcare leave, the employer is obliged, with the consent of the person concerned, to extend the contract or to conclude a new contract for a period extending at least until the child reaches the age of 5.

44.Contracts may not be concluded with pregnant women or with women who have children under the age of 3 (or disabled children under the age of 18) and with whom employment agreements for an indefinite period are in place, unless the women consent to the conclusion of such contracts.

45.A contract with a pregnant woman may, with her consent, be extended for the period of the pregnancy or other period of time by agreement of the parties.

46.In accordance with part 1 of article 268 of the Labour Code, refusing to conclude an employment contract with a woman or reducing her earnings, because of pregnancy or the existence of children under the age of 3 or, in the case of a single mother, the existence of a child under 14 (or a disabled child under 18) is prohibited.

47.An employer may not cancel employment agreements with pregnant women, women with children under the age of 3 or single mothers with children 3-14 years of age (or disabled children under 18), except in cases in which the organization is being liquidated; the operations of a branch, a representative office or other independent subdivision of an organization in a different locale are being terminated; or the operations of an individual entrepreneur are being terminated or in cases involving disciplinary misconduct or other workplace violations (part 3 of article 268 of the Labour Code).

48.In addition, the groundless refusal to hire a woman or her dismissal because she is pregnant or the deliberate illegal dismissal of a person from work is punishable under article 199 of the Labour Code. No cases under this article were filed with or heard by the courts in the period 2011-2015.

49.In labour disputes to which women have been a party, the courts have found no evidence of the women’s labour rights having been restricted in terms of hiring, promotions, or contract-term extensions and no evidence of the creation of conditions discriminating against women on the basis of local regulations of organizations (collective bargaining, agreements).

National machinery for the advancement of women

50.The National Council on Gender Policy of the Council of Ministers (hereinafter, National Council) has been in operation since 2000 (Council of Ministers Resolution No. 698 of 17 May 2000). A new version of the Regulation on the National Council and its composition was approved in 2012 (Council of Ministers Resolution No. 613 of 30 June 2012, amended 14 December 2013).

51.The new Regulation defined the objectives of the National Council with greater specificity.

52.In fulfilling its objectives, the National Council does the following:

(1)Coordinates the work of government agencies of the republic, other State organizations that report to the Government, local executive and regulatory bodies and public associations in the sphere of ensuring gender equality, to include ensuring the conditions necessary for the full-fledged participation of women and men in all spheres of life and the prevention of human trafficking and gender-based violence;

(2)Reviews draft regulations geared to improving State gender-equality policy and decides on the advisability of their adoption;

(3)Produces draft national action plans for gender equality and presents its conclusions on the possibility of their approval to the Council of Ministers;

(4)Reviews reports on the implementation of the national action plans for gender equality and submits them to the Council of Ministers;

(5)Facilitates the conduct of scientific and sociological research to ensure equal rights and opportunities for men and women in economic, political, social and cultural spheres of public life;

(6)Cooperates at the international level in matters involving gender-equality policy;

(7)Ensures the preparation of periodic reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women regarding compliance with the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

53.The National Council consists of representatives of legislative, executive, and judicial bodies; local executive and regulatory bodies; scientific organizations; and trade unions, as well as five public associations and international organizations (31 persons: 21 women and 10 men). The composition of the National Council changes periodically. Council meetings are held as necessary, but no less often than twice a year.

54.The National Council consists of representatives of the following women’s non-governmental associations, as equal members: the public association Belarusian Women’s Union, the international public association Gender Perspectives, the public association Belarusian Association of Young Christian Women and the public association Women’s Independent Democratic Movement, as well as representatives of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus and of the academic community.

55.Cooperation between the national machinery for implementing gender policy and civil society is also reflected in the recruitment of representatives of public associations to the development and evaluation of draft regulations. For example, representatives of public associations participate in the development of the national action plan on gender equality and other State plans and programmes.

56.Expert working groups addressing the implementation of gender policy were set up in 2012 and 2013 in all regions of the country (in provincial executive committees and the Minsk municipal executive committee) to develop partnerships with civil society institutions in matters of gender policy. Such groups include representatives of non-governmental associations and the academic community.

57.Questions of gender equality are within the competence of various government agencies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Economics, the National Statistical Committee, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and other government agencies carry out functions ensuring gender equality in various spheres of life to the extent of their competence.

58.The Department of Population and Gender and Family Policy exercises its functions within the structure of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. The Department performs the tasks assigned to the Ministry regarding the implementation of the priority areas of State policy for ensuring equal rights and opportunities for men and women and exercises functions involving technical and informational support of the activities of the National Council.

59.Thus, the function of coordinating, controlling and evaluating State policy on gender equality at the national and local levels does not rest with the Department of Population and Gender and Family Policy. That function is performed by the National Council on Gender Policy of the Council of Ministers.

60.National plan measures are funded with monies specified in the Republic budget for maintaining relevant government agencies, local budgets, and extrabudgetary sources. The absence of earmarked funding is not an obstacle to the implementation of national plan measures. All national plan measures have been carried out.

61.The financial resources of international organizations have also been mobilized for the implementation of national plan measures within the framework of international technical-assistance and foreign grant-assistance projects.

62.The status of the implementation of the national plan is reviewed annually. The monitoring system covers two levels: local and national. At the local level, implementation is periodically checked at meetings of executive committees of various levels, as well as at meetings of gender-policy expert working groups in provincial executive committees and the Minsk municipal executive committee.

63.At the national level, the implementation of the national plan is monitored in several stages. The implementers (State agencies, public and international organizations and local executive and regulatory bodies) provide information to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. Summarized analytical materials are sent to the Council of Ministers. The implementation of the national plan is a regular subject of discussion at meetings of the National Council and on the boards of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.

64.The implementation of the national plan for 2011-2015 was completed in 2015. The results of the implementation were examined at an expanded meeting of the National Council in the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly that included the participation of members of the Council of the Republic.

65.There is no national human rights institution in Belarus that is in compliance with the Paris Principles. A separate study of that question is planned.

66.The country, however, has an extensive system of public institutions that work to promote and protect various categories of human rights and through which constructive cooperation has been set up among State agencies and organizations, civil society structures, religious organizations and trade unions: the National Commission on the Rights of the Child; the National Council on Gender Policy; the Inter-Ethnic Advisory Council; the Inter-Religious Advisory Council; the National Council on Labour and Social Questions; the National Interdepartmental Council on Disability; the Interdepartmental Commission on the Problems of the Elderly, Veterans and Persons Suffering from the Consequences of War; the Council on the Updating of Social and Labour Legislation; the Community Coordinating Council on the Mass Media; the Community Coordinating Council on the Environment; the Community Anti-Corruption Council; the Community Council in the Ministry of Internal Affairs; the Centre for Public-Private Partnership and others.

Temporary special measures

67.A new, broad measure was introduced in 2015 to support large families — “Family Capital” (a one-time non-cash transfer of US$10,000 to families upon the birth or adoption of their third child and subsequent children). A total of 11,582 “Family Capital” deposit accounts were opened in 2015, and they totalled US$ 115,820,000. The programme is temporary and is scheduled to last for five years, from 1 January 2015 through 31 December 2019; it covers citizens of Belarus. “Family Capital” funds may be used by all family members in equal shares.

68.In 2013, the Labour Code was amended to strengthen equality in family relations. The right to parental leave to care for a child under the age of 3 and to additional days off from work (for child-rearing purposes) extends to stepfathers and stepmothers. In addition, if a mother works as an individual entrepreneur, a lawyer, a notary or a craftworker, the employed father or other family member may also obtain parental leave to care for a child (previously, this right was made available if the mother took a job under an employment agreement).

69.A provision has been introduced into State benefits law to the effect that if a mother is working full-time, and the father, unemployed, is caring for a child under the age of 3, the full benefit is paid (previously, the full benefit was reserved for the mother, and only 50 per cent was paid).

Stereotypes

70.Mainstreaming gender perspectives in education and the mass media is the principal tool for overcoming gender stereotypes.

71.Within the framework of the National Plan of Action for Gender Equality (the “Development of a System of Gender Education” and “Information Support of Measures to Ensure Gender Equality” sections), measures have been implemented to develop a system of gender education in the country, including public discussion of gender issues and of gender equality during public awareness-raising events.

72.The expertise of journalists was enhanced in the international technical assistance project to develop the national capacity of Belarus to counter domestic violence while achieving gender equality, which was implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and UNFPA (2012-2015). A number of events were held for representatives of the mass media: seminars under the rubric “Coverage of Gender (In)Equality and Domestic Violence in the Mass Media”; the course “Gender and the Mass Media” was developed and is being taught at the Institute of Journalists of Belarusian State University; a competition was held among journalists for the best article on gender issues.

73.The print and electronic mass media regularly cover the topic of gender equality and the countering of violence in the family.

74.Various aspects of gender awareness and education are included in refresher and advanced training courses for school teachers in the social sciences and for lecturers teaching foundation courses in the humanities and in social and political sciences, whose duties include teaching classes on human rights, the rights of the child and women’s rights; gender education; and work with children, teenagers and young adults.

75.Advanced training courses in gender-policy implementation for labour, employment, and social welfare specialists are regularly incorporated into the curriculum of the National Institute for Advanced Training and Retraining of Employees of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.

76.The Ministry of Internal Affairs, within the framework of staff development, has put together an education programme titled “Upgrading the Work of Internal Affairs Agencies to Counter Violence in the Family” and has published the handbooks The Work of Internal Affairs Agencies to Counter Violence in the Family and Anti-Trafficking and Human Rights, which examine gender-equality issues.

77.Issues pertaining to enduring gender equality have been incorporated into training courses at the State educational institution Academy of Postgraduate Studies.

78.The instructional handbooks Gender and Family Education of Students and Creating a Culture of Safe Living have been published to assist teachers.

79.The strategy for developing gender education is reflected in the Framework Plan for the Continuing Education of Children and Youth, which was approved by the Ministry of Education Resolution No. 82 of 15 July 2015.

80.Gender education focuses on giving the students an idea of the concepts of “gender”, “gender dialogue”, “gender stereotypes” and “gender roles” and on fostering responsible attitudes towards marriage, motherhood and fatherhood; towards treating members of both sexes respectfully and in a non-discriminatory fashion; and towards supporting the endeavour to achieve mutual understanding.

81.The educational process employs curricula, teaching programmes and teaching publications that are the same in terms of content for all students, regardless of sex. Gender stereotypes are eliminated by incorporatingcomponents that deepen the students’ gender knowledge into educational standards.

Violence against women

82.In 2015, the Ministry of Internal Affairs prepared a draft law on the prevention of violence in the family. The draft is now being revised to take into account the observations of other State agencies.

83.Most forms of violence perpetrated within the family are administrative or criminal offences that are subject to penalties.

84.The Code of Administrative Offences and the Criminal Code contain provisions on the liability for domestic violence. Compensation for harm and losses (caused to, for example, the life or health of a citizen) may be obtained through civil proceedings.

85.If no crime is involved, battery that does not result in bodily harm and the intentional infliction of pain or physical or mental suffering on a close relative or family member are subject to administrative penalties under part 2 of article 9.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences (which was added by the Act of 12 July 2013 amending the Code of Administrative Offences and the Code of Administrative Procedure and Enforcement, which law entered into force on 28 August 2013). Women are primarily the victims of such offences.

86.Information on Republic of Belarus court hearings of cases involving the administrative offences covered by part 2 of article 9.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences:

Year	Number of cases heard	Sanctions imposed
2013	1 173	740
2014	28 735	17 804
2015	44 002	26 436
Grand total 2013- 2015	73 910	44 980

87.In the absence of a claim by the victim, the administrative process may also be initiated by a prosecutor on the basis of article 9.4 of the Code of Administrative Procedure and Enforcement, for intentional infliction of bodily harm and commission of other acts of violence.

88.In addition, prevailing criminal procedure law (part 5 of article 26 of the Code of Criminal Procedure) gives the prosecutor the right to initiate criminal proceedings under the private or private-public prosecution procedure in the absence of a request by the person who was the victim of the crime, if the crime affects the essential interests of the State and society or was committed against a person who is dependent on the accused or, for other reasons, is incapable of defending his or her rights and lawful interests.

89.The current work to prevent violence in the family conforms to the Principles of Crime Prevention Act of 4 January 2014.

90.Under that law, personal protection measures are now supplemented by a new measure — the issuance of an injunction, which compels a citizen who has committed domestic violence to refrain from performing certain actions.

91.The most effective measure is an injunction that prohibits the offender from being in the same residence as the domestic-violence victim.

92.At the same time, victims of family violence can be provided with temporary shelter. Such services are provided in “crisis rooms” set up in local social-services centres, as well as in a number of public associations. The number of crisis rooms over the last five years has increased more than 3.5-fold: to 109 as of 1 January 2016 from 31 as of 1 January 2011.

93.Internal affairs authorities employ personal protection measures against individuals who are prone to violence in the family. Such individuals are placed on a watch list, preventive conversations are held with them, and the individuals are given official warnings. Personal protective measures also take the form of prevention-oriented lectures and films.

94.If there are appropriate legal grounds, internal affairs authorities can prepare the materials necessary to send individuals suffering from alcohol or drug addiction to compulsory rehabilitation centres. If necessary, measures are taken to deprive individuals of their parental rights or to remove a child without the forfeiture of parental rights, as well as to restrict the legal capacity of citizens who are placing their families in dire financial situations.

95.The Criminal Code establishes the liability for a number of acts associated with violence, including those committed against women. Specifically, the Criminal Code defines the liability for rape (article 166), sexual assault (article 167), coercion to perform sexual acts (article 170), organization and/or use of prostitution or creation of conditions for prostitution (article 171), inducement into, or coercion to continue engaging in, prostitution (article 171-1), and human trafficking (article 181). In sentencing for such crimes, the courts are guided by the principles and aims of criminal liability enshrined in articles 3 and 44 of the Criminal Code, and they prescribe punishment on the basis of the principle of the individualization of penalties.

96.Article 166 of the Criminal Code does not exclude criminal liability for a person who commits such acts against a woman to whom he is married. Relevant clarifications are contained in paragraph 2 of the Decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court No. 7 of 27 September 2012 on the Case Law for Cases involving Crimes against Sexual Inviolability or Sexual Freedom (articles 166-170 of the Criminal Code).

97.Information on Republic of Belarus hearings of the criminal cases covered by articles 166, 167, 170 and 171-1 of the Criminal Code:

Year	Number of persons convicted
Art.166 Criminal Code	Art.167 Criminal Code	Art.170 Criminal Code	Art.171-1 Criminal Code
2011	86	57	1	9
2012	64	46	–	9
2013	61	53	2	1
2014	92	80	–	2
2015	80	73	–	1
Grand total 2011-2015	383	309	3	22

98.There is no need to introduce a special provision criminalizing marital rape. Such a provision would be discriminatory against victims of sexual crimes committed outside the domestic context.

99.Two studies — one at the republic level, and one at the regional level — have been conducted to examine community attitudes towards violence in the republic.

100.The first study was performed in 2012 by the National Statistical Committee, with the support of UNICEF (the total sample consisted of 8,500 households, including 3,400 households with children under the age of 5). It showed that 12 out of every 100 women in the age bracket of 15-49 had experienced violence at the hands of their husband/partner. Approximately 40 per cent had sought help for the violence committed against them.

101.The second study was conducted in 2012 by the Centre for Sociological and Political Research of the Belarusian State University to assess domestic violence in Brest Province. The study surveyed 337 men and 363 women between the ages of 18 and 60 who had experience in a domestic setting (who had been in a registered marriage or in a marital relationship not officially registered).

102.The following international technical assistance projects were geared to encouraging more women to seek help and disseminating information on the types of help available: the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare project to develop the national capacity of the Republic of Belarus to counter domestic violence while achieving gender equality, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs project to increase the national capacity of the State to counter domestic violence in Belarus, both of which projects were implemented with UNFPA in 2012-2015.

103.The implementation of the projects resulted in the following:

(1)Crisis rooms were set up in local social-services centres in pilot regions;

(2)A toll-free nationwide hotline was created and is in operation for victims of domestic violence (tel. 8 801 100 8 801). The telephone hotline provides psychological, legal and social counselling daily, seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is administered by the international public association Gender Perspectives;

(3)The large-scale “Home without Violence” awareness-raising campaign was conducted, with the participation of well-known cultural and sports figures. The campaign ran from 2012 through 2015 and included three stages: “Kitchen without Violence”, “Nursery without Violence” and “Bedroom without Violence”. The campaign was geared to publicizing the telephone hotline and fostering nonviolent behaviour towards women and children. Videos of the campaign continue to be broadcast on the country’s mainstream, national television channels;

(4)An updated version of the information resource “ Ostanovi nasiliye ” [Stop the Violence] at www.ostanovinasilie.org was released. It contains up-to-date information on national and international domestic-violence law and contact information for organizations that provide support to victims and offers online counselling on violence in the family.

(5)A competition was held among journalists for the best article on gender issues (from 15 March through 20 August 2013).

(6)A model was developed for working with domestic-violence aggressors, and it is now being experimentally tested in the cities of Grodno and Minsk and in Brest Province;

(7)Training seminars were held for journalists, and the course “Gender and the Mass Media” was developed and is being taught at the Institute of Journalists of Belarusian State University;

(8)Social organizations and religious organizations have been recruited as partners to integrate services for domestic-violence victims (for example, shelter is provided for victims of violence in the city of Lida, of Grodno Province, by the Union of Sisterhoods of Charity of the Belarusian Orthodox Church);

(9)A mechanism has been developed to enable interdepartmental collaboration among all structures involved in the system for providing assistance to victims (health-care, education, internal affairs and social welfare agencies and public associations), and interdepartmental protocols, with a list of officials and their telephone numbers, have been approved in all regions to provide assistance to domestic-violence victims.

104.In 2012-2015, some 700 persons experiencing hardship, including circumstances resulting from domestic violence, received temporary shelter in crisis rooms of local social-services centres (237 persons in 2015).

105.The local social-services centres provide counselling, including for domestic violence, over a total of 156 hotline telephones. Outreach work to encourage more women to seek help from local social-services centres in cases involving violence is done through booklets, leaflets, and special events.

106.Under part 6 of article 31 of the Principles of Crime Prevention Act, in the absence of the written consent of the victim, an injunction may be issued by agreement with the prosecutor in cases in which the victim is dependent on the perpetrator or, for other reasons, is incapable of defending his or her rights and lawful interests.

107.The Institute for the Retraining and Further Training of Judges and Officials of the Procurator’s Office, the Courts and Other Institutions in the System of Justice, at Belarusian State University, provides advanced training for judges on a regular and comprehensive basis, including in matters of domestic violence and the correct application of Republic of Belarus law in that area. The teaching is done by highly trained professionals who employ modern technologies and teaching resources.

Human trafficking and exploitation of prostitution

108.The Human Trafficking Act (hereinafter, simply the Act) was adopted on 7 January 2012.

109.The Act defines the legal and organizational principles for countering human trafficking and the powers of State agencies in that area and provides definitions for such concepts as “human trafficking” and “victim of human trafficking”. According to the third paragraph of article 1 of the Act, a victim of human trafficking is a citizen against whom the crime of human trafficking or other related crime has been committed.

110.Chapter 4 of the Act provides for measures to protect and rehabilitate victims of human trafficking. Such measures include providing for safety, social welfare and rehabilitation; suspending expulsion and deportation; and making assistance available from diplomatic missions and consular posts of the Republic of Belarus.

111.The Criminal Code contains provisions criminalizing human trafficking (article181), as well as other related crimes: organization and/or use of prostitution or creation of conditions for prostitution (article 171), inducement into, or coercion to continue engaging in, prostitution (article 171-1), use of slave labour (article 181-1), kidnapping (article 182), unlawful acts related to the employment of Belarusian citizens abroad (article 187) and production and distribution of pornographic materials or items of a pornographic nature depicting minors (article 343-1).

112.The Act of 5 January 2015 amending the Criminal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Penalties Enforcement Code, the Code of Administrative Offences and the Code of Administrative Procedure and Enforcement (which entered into force on 28 January 2015) amended articles 171 and 181 of the Criminal Code.

113.Thus, a provision criminalizing the act of organizing prostitution, as well as a note providing insight into the meaning of the term “use of prostitution”, was added to article 171 of the Criminal Code.

114.Article 181 of the Criminal Code is redrafted; specifically, the definition of the term “human trafficking” has been altered to harmonize with the provisions of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

115.The rehabilitation of human trafficking victims is handled by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health, as well as by international and non-governmental organizations.

116.The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare handles the rehabilitation of victims older than 18 (its structure includes the local social-services centres in which crisis rooms have been created).

117.The Ministry of Education handles the rehabilitation of victims in the age bracket of 3-18 (its structure includes social and education centres that have shelters). For children under the age of 3, rehabilitation is provided in children’s homes run by the Ministry of Health.

118.The following kinds of government assistance are provided free of charge:

(1)Temporary accommodations, including board and lodging;

(2)Legal assistance, including free legal aid from members of the bar association;

(3)All types of medical assistance, including inpatient care and home care, regardless of the place of permanent residence of the human trafficking victim;

(4)Psychological counselling;

(5)Identification of the families of juvenile victims of trafficking or the placement of the juveniles in other families or, where that is not possible, in children’s homes;

(6)Assistance in finding permanent work;

(7)Financial support.

119.By decision of a court, within the framework of criminal proceedings, a victim may be awarded compensation from a trafficker for harm incurred as a result of the offence in question (civil action procedure).

120.A number of regulations have been passed to improve the rehabilitation assistance provided to human trafficking victims.

121.For example, a new version of the Social Services Act took effect on 1 January 2013, and the Council of Ministers Resolution No. 1218 of 27 December 2012, which approved the List of Free and Publicly Available Social Services of State Social Services Institutions, was adopted in furtherance of the Act. The Council of Ministers Resolution No. 122 on the Rules for Defraying the Costs of Attorneys Providing Legal Assistance to Human Trafficking Victims and Victims of Terrorist Acts, in accordance with which legal assistance provided by attorneys is paid for by the State, was adopted on 6 February 2012.

122.The Council of Ministers Resolution No. 41 of 28 April 2012 on Drafting a List of the Requisite Medical Services to Be Provided by State Health-Care Agencies, including Inpatient Care, to Human Trafficking Victims, regardless of Their Place of Permanent Residence, has been adopted.

123.Belarus has 146 local social-services centres (covering all administrativedistricts), as well as two municipal family and children’s social-services centres, which offer an entire range of social services.

124.Local social-services centres are funded by local budgets. The actual expenditures for maintaining the centres in 2015 amounted to 1,012,300,000,000 roubles (approximately US$ 52.2 million).

125.A network of crisis rooms, which is being expanded constantly, was created to provide temporary shelter services at the centres. The number of crisis rooms has increased over the last five years by more than 3.5-fold: to 109 as of 1 January 2016 from 31 as of 1 January 2011.

126.In 2015, temporary shelter in crisis rooms was provided to 237 individuals suffering hardship, among them victims of human trafficking (temporary shelter was provided to some 700 individuals from 2012 through 2015).

127.Such temporary shelter (temporary accommodation) is free of charge and includes the following: a place to sleep, a set of bed linens, personal hygiene items and food and drink.

128.The procedure for providing temporary shelter to individuals who are living in extremely difficult circumstances has been greatly simplified since 2013. The agreement for the provision of social services involving temporary shelter may be entered into without the submission of the requisite documents if the individual is referred by labour, employment and social welfare authorities or authorities of internal affairs, health-care institutions, or other State agencies and organizations. Moreover, the law at this time does not limit the length of stay in a crisis room (previously, the service was made available for up to 10 days and could be extended solely by decision of the local social-services centre director).

129.In addition to temporary shelter services, individuals residing in crisis rooms receive the following: assistance in recovering documents, finding jobs and completing documents to obtain disability status; psychological services; financial and humanitarian aid (clothing, food, personal hygiene items); legal aid; counselling; and other types of assistance.

130.The Act has introduced a State social procurement mechanism to accommodate State co-financing of public associations providing social services. Forty-six State social procurement contracts were concluded with public associations in 2015, and the total for grants awarded was 2.4 billion roubles.

131.The Ministry of Internal Affairs has established close contacts with the law enforcement agencies of countries in the European Union, the Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Belarus has signed international agreements on combating human trafficking with a number of countries, the Republic of Turkey being one of them.

132.In 2012-2015, the country collaborated with law enforcement agencies of Great Britain, Germany, Israel, Italy, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and France to combat human trafficking.

133.The International Training Centre, which has been operating in Minsk since 2007, provides training, further training and retraining in the sphere of migration and the countering of human trafficking and is the primary institution for training experts in this area from the member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

134.The Centre conducts training courses that pertain to human trafficking, illegal migration, child pornography on the Internet and victim rehabilitation and reintegration.

135.Prostitution in Belarus is an administrative offence and carries a penalty of a fine or administrative arrest for up to 15 days. As of 1 January 2016, a total of 1,924 individuals (1,873 women and 51 men) were on law enforcement rolls for persons engaging in prostitution.

136.If an individual engaging in prostitution was a victim of human trafficking or other related crime, that individual is absolved of administrative liability.

Participation in political and public life

137.The Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus does not provide for any exceptions or restrictions on the grounds of sex in respect of voters, referendum participants or candidates for elective office.

138.The absence of electoral quotas for women in Belarus law gives political parties, public associations and employee associations the freedom to determine the number of women they put forward for election.

139.As of 1 January 2016, a total of 15 political parties and 1,127 party organizations; 37 trade unions and 23,139 trade union organizations; and 2,665 public associations were registered in the republic. A total of 41,011 public association organizational structures were registered and recorded. Thirty-four public association unions (alliances), 164 funds (15 international, 5 national, and 144 local), and 7 national State-public associations.

140.Thirty women’s public associations are registered in the republic, as is one international alliance of women’s public associations.

141.The primary legislation governing the rules for entry into civil service is the Civil Service Act of 14 June 2003. Civil service law allows for no preferences whatsoever based on gender.

142.As a result, a majority of civil servants are women. As of 1 July 2015, women accounted for 70.1 per cent of the total number of civil servants, namely:

(1)51.6 per cent in the legislatures;

(2)69.8 per cent in executive bodies;

(3)67.9 per cent in the judiciary;

(4)49 per cent in government agencies with special constitutional and legal status;

(5)74.5 per cent in local government and self-governing bodies.

143.As of 1 January 2016, women accounted for 58 per cent of judges of general-jurisdiction courts of the republic. In terms of senior posts (presidents and vice-presidents of courts), women hold 45.9 per cent of those posts. Of the 12 judges of the Constitutional Court, five are women (which amounts to 42 per cent), one of whom is the Vice-President.

144.Belarus, together with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, has been implementing a project devoted to the participation of women in political and public life. As part of the project, an international conference on ensuring gender equality in public life was held in Minsk on 15 and 16 June 2015. An international forum of women leaders on equal opportunities for a better future is scheduled to take place in 2016.

145.Article 143 of the Code of Criminal Procedure provides a common set of rules for men and women to appeal the following in court: detention, remand in custody, house arrest or extension of the period of detention on remand or house arrest.

146.With a view to protecting the rights of convicted women and other individuals in custody and preventing acts of torture and cruel or inhuman treatment against them, the Office of the Procurator General inspects detention and correctional facilities, has set up helplines, regularly holds private interviews with convicted persons and other individuals in custody, meets with former prisoners to obtain information from them about allegations of torture and violence while they were in custody or were serving their sentence and analyses the causes of bodily injuries to inmates in remand centres and prisons.

147.The Office of the Procurator General has received no complaints from women of unlawful arrest or detention on remand or of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

148.The Act of 16 June 2003 governs detention procedure and conditions and guarantees the rights and lawful interests of persons held on remand.

149.No discrimination is allowed against detainees on the grounds of sex, race, ethnic background, language, origin, wealth or social status, place of residence, attitude to religion, beliefs, membership in public associations or any other grounds.

150.Article 10 states that detainees have the right to submit petitions, requests, applications and complaints, including to a court, regarding the lawfulness and validity of their detention and violations of their rights and lawful interests.

151.The activities of bodies and institutions carrying out sentences and other penal measures are also monitored by public associations.

152.Republic of Belarus courts in 2011-2015 heard 3,297 complaints regarding the use of measures of restraint that took the form of remand in custody or house arrest or regarding the extension of the period of detention on remand or house arrest (there were 675 complaints in 2011; 485 in 2012; 582 in 2013; 716 in 2014; and 839 in 2015). Hearings found 158 complaints to be justified (44 in 2011; 22 in 2012; 32 in 2013; 29 in 2014; and 31 in 2015).

153.Belarus sent its comments on the concluding recommendations of the Committee Nos. 26 (a, b and c), 27 and 50 (pertaining to paragraph 26) in note No. 214 of 22 February 2011 of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Belarus to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva.

154.The Zavod District Court of Minsk, on 16 May 2011, and the Frunze District Court of Minsk, on 20 May 2011, heard the criminal cases against, respectively, I.V. Khalip and A.V. Polazhenko regarding events that took place on 19 December 2010.

155.I.V. Khalip and A.V. Polazhenko were convicted under part 1 of article 342 of the Criminal Code for organizing, and actively participating in, group activities in flagrant breach of the peace and for disrupting public transport. The legality and justification of the sentences were confirmed in cassation by the Minsk Municipal Court. The Supreme Court, in its review of those criminal cases by way of supervision, also found no violations of the law that would annul the court decisions.

156.I.V. Khalip and A.V. Polazhenko were justifiably prosecuted for the crimes they committed, which are punishable under Belarus criminal law. Their conviction by the courts was neither persecution based on political motives nor persecution for political views.

157.In 2015, the Ministry of Justice and the principal judicial authorities of the provincial executive committees and the Minsk municipal executive committee registered 106 new public associations, one public association union (alliance) and 11 new funds.

158.By comparison with 2014, the number of registered public associations increased by 2.7 per cent (to 2,665 as of 1 January 2016 from 2,596 as of 1 January 2015). The number of registered funds grew by 5.8 per cent (to 164 as of 1 January 2016 from 155 as of 1 January 2015).

159.In amending legislation on the activities of political parties and other public organizations, the Act of 4 November 2013, which entered into force in February 2014, touches on matters of organizations such as public associations.

160The main purpose of drafting the Act was to improve the legal framework for the establishment, activities, and liquidation of public associations.

161.The Act simplified the requirements for the conditions for the establishment of public associations. Specifically, it provided for reduced representation of the founders of a public association from the regional units at which it will operate.

162.The Act also contained amendments to simplify the procedure for registering changes to the charters of public associations and political parties, for liquidating the public associations, and for registering organizational structures.

163.The innovations extend to all public associations, including women’s public associations.

164.The largest and most influential women’s public association is the Belarusian Women’s Union, which was established in 1991 and represents more than 180,000 women across the country. Its membership includes members of Government, deputies, heads of national government agencies and representatives of business.

165.Annually, the Union conducts a Woman of the Year national competition, which includes such categories as “Leadership and Effective Management” and “Spiritual Revival”.

166.Under the law, public associations are co-financed on a competitive basis within the framework of State social procurement.

167.In order to implement humanitarian projects, public associations also draw upon foreign grant assistance. Under the law, registered foreign grant assistance may be exempt from taxes, fees and duties if the project conforms to the aims of State policy. In that context, the republic’s government agencies support public associations by issuing them appropriate findings.

Education

168.The guarantees of the constitutional right of every individual to an education and the assurance of equal access to education, regardless of gender, are enshrined in the sphere of education.

169.The gross enrolment rate for the population for all levels of education (except for preschool education) in 2015 was 99.4 per cent for both sexes, 103.1 per cent for women, and 96.9 per cent for men.

170.The educational process employs curricula, teaching programmes and teaching publications that are of identical content for all students, regardless of sex.

171.Issues associated with ensuring gender equality have been addressed since 2011 at the State educational institution Academy of Postgraduate Studies, the National Institute for Vocational Training, and provincial and Minsk city educational institutions in training courses for successive special groups of attendees: counsellors, directors and deputy directors of social education centres, directors and deputy directors of boarding schools and child protection inspectors and methodology advisers.

172.The following gender-awareness topics have been added to a number of programmes for retraining specialists and upgrading skills and to a number of educational programmes: counselling, ideological and character-building work in schools, psychology of family relations and the preparation of youth for marriage, and current issues of modern psychology and pedagogy.

Employment

173.Under part 2 of article 42 of the Constitution, women and men have the right to equal pay for work of equal value.

174.This right is enshrined in domestic law through the establishment of equitable approaches to the labour remuneration system, which, generally speaking, does not discriminate against women. Under domestic law, the forms and system of pay are also independent of considerations of the gender of the employee. Where women have the same qualifications as men and all other things are equal, they are entitled to perform equal work and to receive equal pay.

175.At the same time, the occupational segregation of women on the labour market and the wage gap between men and women remain a problem. A trend of recent years points to the closing of that gap. If, for example, the nominal aggregate average monthly wage of women across the republic in 2013 was 74.5 per cent of that of men, it was 76.6 per cent in 2014 and 76.2 per cent in 2015.

176.The existing, real-world gender gap between the level of pay of men and women in Belarus is due primarily to the high percentage of men employed in organizations in economic sectors such as industry, construction, transportation and communications, where working conditions are harmful and hazardous and the work is high-pressure, in connection with which the pay is higher.

177.Work is under way to improve the legal and regulatory instruments that establish the special aspects of the regulation of working conditions.

178.Belarus maintains a list of heavy-labour jobs and jobs with harmful and/or hazardous working conditions for which women cannot be hired (hereinafter, the list). The list contains 182 positions (previously, there were 252). The restrictions are primarily intended to protect women’s lives and health.

179.An employee’s working conditions are not determined by the title of his/her profession or position, but depend on the production process, the equipment used and how the work is organized at a given job site. The prohibition takes effect solely in the event that the work is classified as harmful or hazardous.

180.Women may be hired to operate highway-construction, railroad-construction and general-construction machinery and rail vehicles designed for conveying passengers, freight, baggage, as well as to maintain such machinery and vehicles, provided that the results of the workplace certification for working conditions do not attest to harmful and/or hazardous working conditions in the workplace.

181.Workplaces are becoming less harmful and less hazardous by the year as a result of the modernization of production and the introduction of new technologies in organizations of the republic.

182.Belarus has created conditions enabling the equal participation of fathers in the rearing of children. The Labour Code contains a number of articles aimed at equal exercise of rights both of women and of men, including in child-rearing.

183.Labour law, for example, gives the family the right to independently choose which of the working parents will care for the child and, accordingly, will take childcare leave until the child reaches the age of 3. The same benefit paid to a mother is extended to a father who takes childcare leave for a child under 3.

184.An employer may not cancel an employment agreement with a working father who is on childcare leave for a child under the age of 3, except in certain cases (the organization is being liquidated or the operations of a branch, a representative office or other independent subdivision of an organization in a different locale are being terminated). For a father who returns to work either before or after completing childcare leave for a child under the age of 3, the employer is obliged to extend the contract or conclude a new contract for a period that runs at least until the child reaches the age of 5.

185.Employers may not cancel employment agreements with single fathers who have children 3-14 years of age (or disabled children under 18), except in the specific cases mentioned earlier.

186.There is an entire array of social guarantees for persons raising a disabled child under 18 or two or more children under 16 (such as additional, paid days off from work).

187.Information on the equal rights of both parents to employee benefits in connection with raising children is placed on the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare site and is disseminated through press conferences, televised call-in shows and online conferences on social welfare issues, as well at events conducted with employers and trade unions (such as seminars, round tables and conferences).

188.The Labour Code provides for, among other things, non-routine work schedules — namely, flexible working hours, a total-time-worked regime and part-time work — which enable the efficient use of the labour of all sociodemographic groups of the populace, including those who, because of partial disability or family or other circumstances, cannot work the full working day.

189.The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has prepared recommendations to employers regarding flexible forms of employment, placed them on its official site and sent them to all interested parties to raise the awareness of employers and employees regarding the use of flexible work schedules.

190.The Every Day is Father’s Day! holiday is publicly celebrated in Minsk and in the provinces every year to enhance the status of fathers in society.

191.A number of the country’s higher education institutions are offering a programme titled “School of Responsible Parenthood”, the aim of which is to improve the foundations of the psychological and pedagogic knowledge of future and current parents regarding child-rearing and to heighten awareness of the future parental roleand promote a positive attitude towards it.

192.Instructional materials have been published, and handbooks and teaching programmes developed, on “School of Responsible Parenthood” subject matter.

193.The National Statistical Committee has conducted two surveys: the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, to assess the status of women and children (2012), and a survey of households to study daily time use by the population (2015), during which, among other things, the participation of fathers in the rearing and development of children was studied.

194.The subprogramme titled “Family and Childhood” of the State programme for the public health and demographic security of Belarus for 2016-2020 includes activities involving the in-depth study of question of mandatory paternity leave.

Health care

195.The level of sexual and reproductive health among the populace of Belarus is high in most regards.

196.The birth rate has grown since 2003 to 12.5 per 1,000 in 2015 from 9.0 (it was 11.5 in 2011).

197.Belarus is a country with low maternal, perinatal, infant and child mortality rates. There has been a steady downward trend in those indicators for a number of years.

198.Infant mortality in 2015 was 3.0 per 1,000 live births (it was 3.9 in 2011).

199.No maternal mortality cases were recorded in 2015 (the rate was 0.9 per 100,000 live births in 2011).

200.Virtually all pregnant women (99 per cent) are seen by a doctor/physician, with 97 per cent of them examined in the early stages of pregnancy. Some 97 per cent of pregnant women undergo an ultrasound examination to detect congenital malformations of the fetus.

201.In 2015, an average of 71 women out of 100 had an illness during pregnancy (72.7 per cent in 2011), which lowers the quality of fetal development and results in poorer health in children.

202.A threatened miscarriage has been the predominant condition complicating the course of pregnancies over the span of the last two years. Approximately one fourth of pregnant women exhibit symptoms of miscarriage.

203.In 2015, the prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women was 22.4 per cent; of thyroid pathology, 9 per cent; of the onset of genitourinary disease, 11 per cent; of circulatory system disease, 6.4 per cent; of gestational toxicosis, 5 per cent; and of diabetes mellitus, 1.1 per cent.

204.Recent years have seen an upward trend in the number of births without complications. In 2015, normal births accounted for 40.2 per cent of births.

205.The rate of delivery by Caesarean section rose to 28.7 per cent in 2015 from 24.6 per cent in 2011.

206.Premature births do not exceed 4.0 per cent of births.

207.In Belarus, breast cancer is the most prevalent of malignant tumours of female reproductive organs (4,324 cases), and cervical cancer ranks fourth (884 cases).

208.In 2015, breast cancer accounted for 17.7 per cent of all malignant tumours in women (it ranked second), and cervical cancer, 3.6 per cent (it ranked ninth).

209.The standardized morbidity indicator among women of Belarus in 2015 was 49.7 per 100,000 women for malignant tumours of the breast and 12.2 for malignant tumours of the cervix.

210.In 2015, breast cancer accounted for 78.3 per cent of all diagnosed cases of disease stages I and II, and cervical cancer, 73.5 per cent; they accounted for 20.9 per cent and 25.3 per cent, respectively, of neglected cases.

211.A total of 40,277 female patients with malignant tumours of the breast were on the rolls of the country’s oncology clinics in 2015 (24,008 of them, or 59.6 per cent, have been on the rolls for five years or more), as were 11,043 women with cervical cancer (791 of them, or 7.16 per cent, have been on the rolls for five years or more).

212.Expenditures for prevention and treatment of oncological disease amounted to 3.6 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) of Belarus in 2014 and 4.7 per cent in 2015.

213.Early detection and screening for breast cancer and cervical cancer are included in the State programme for the public health and demographic security of Belarus for 2016-2020. Within the framework of the implementation of the State programme for responding to the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant for the period 2011-2015, epidemiological studies examined the morbidity rate for malignant tumours in women living in areas with varying intensity of radiation contamination. The studies failed to identify a risk of developing cervical cancer or breast cancer in a contaminated area, including an area with a high intensity of radiation contamination (>5 Ci/km2). The State programme for the public health and demographic security of Belarus for 2016-2020 provides for financial resources to implement screening programmes for cervical, prostate, breast and colorectal cancers.

214.International experts have made recommendations for modifying the draft strategy for promoting and maintaining reproductive health in Belarus up to the year 2020. The draft strategy is intended to preserve and improve reproductive health, enhance reproductive capacity, and lower maternal, infant and child morbidity and mortality rates.

215.Belarus is doing consistent, focused work to improve reproductive health and protect the health of mothers and children. Fundamental measures to protect reproductive health are provided for in the national program for the demographic security of the Republic of Belarus, the State programme for the public health and demographic security of Belarus for 2016-2020, and the National Plan of Action to Improve the Situation of Children and Protect their Rights for 2012-2016.

216.In 2015, the rate of abortions among women of child-bearing age dropped to 12.8 per 1,000 (it was 13.2 in 2011). The number of abortions per 100 live births was 29.5 in 2011 and 24.5 in 2015.

217.Health centres offer a supportive environment and psychological counselling prior to the termination of a pregnancy for women seeking an abortion.

218.For purposes of preventing abortions in the republic, the “Together in Protection of Life” and “Give Me Life” campaigns, which are intended not only to prevent abortions, but also to raise the birth rate and draw broad public attention to matters of the family, have been conducted on an ongoing basis since 2014.

219.“For Birth” offices were opened in 2013 in certain regions of the country at regional municipal outpatient clinics and women’s counselling centres, with direct support from the Church and provincial executive committees. The purpose of such offices is to provide psychological counselling to prepare women for motherhood.

220.The “Together in Protection of Life” prevention campaign, which was aimed at drawing broad public attention to matters of the family, raising the birth rate, curbing the number of artificial abortions and promoting a positive attitude in youth towards family values, was conducted in the republic in 2014.

221.The “Together in Protection of Life, Morality and Family Values” campaign was conducted in 2015 in all regions of the republic. It included specialists teaching pre-abortion psychological counselling.

222.The “Family and Childhood” subprogramme of the State programme for the public health and demographic security of Belarus for 2016-2020 involves improving the system for protecting the health of mother and child.

223.The State programme for the public health and demographic security of Belarus for 2016-2020 includes 26,796,000,000 roubles for the development and introduction of a national model for a family planning service and for the establishment of a service for protecting men’s health. Some 273 million roubles are provided to develop a training module on reproductive health, including pre‑abortion counselling, for specialists of the family planning service, general practitioners and physician’s assistants, obstetrician-gynaecologists, psychologists and psychotherapists.

224.Migrant women, Roma women, elderly women and women with disabilities or in prison have equal opportunities in terms of access to health-care services. The basic health indicators of those groups of women are within the range of the health indicators for the population.

225.As of 1 January 2016, Belarus had recorded 19,827 cases of HIV infection. The incidence of HIV infection was 161.9 cases per 100,000. A total of 2,305 HIV-positive individuals were identified in 2015 (1,811 were identified in 2014).

226.The high percentage of HIV-infected women among all HIV-infected individuals (39.5 per cent in 2015) leads to increased numbers of children born to HIV-infected mothers (the number was 200 in 2006 and 295 in 2015). Thanks to the mothers’ access to services, however, including antiretroviral therapy, a dynamic reduction is being observed in the mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

227.Upon registration, pregnant women are given a pre-test consultation on HIV infection so as to encourage the future mothers to ascertain their own HIV status and, if necessary, take measures to prevent vertical HIV transmission.

228.The number of pregnant women tested for HIV infection has grown (it was 105,998 in 2006 and 211,634 in 2015). The pregnant women tested represent 16.9 per cent of all persons tested in the overall effort to screen the population for HIV, and in 2006-2015 the rate of HIV infection detected among the pregnant women tested ranged from 0.79 per cent in 2006 to 0.06 per cent in 2015.

229.The prevalence of HIV among pregnant women in 2015 was 0.1 per cent.

230.The implementation of the complex of measures to prevent vertical HIV transmission made it possible to reduce the mother-to-child HIV transmission to 2.4 per cent in 2015.

231.The “Prevention of HIV Infection” subprogramme of the State programme for the public health and demographic security of Belarus for 2016-2020 involves a number of measures:

(1)Provision of combination antiretroviral therapy to HIV-positive individuals in need of treatment;

(2)Prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission;

(3)Provision to the population groups at high risk of infection with a package of services to prevent HIV infection.

Rural women

232.As of 1 January 2016, a total of 2,128,300 individuals, or 22.4 per cent of the total population, lived in rural areas. Of that number, 1,020,000 individuals (47.9 per cent) were male, and 1,108,300 (52.1 per cent) were female.

233.The State programme for sustainable rural development for 2011-2015 was geared to improving the living conditions of the rural population, including women. The programme involved measures to provide employment, expand the social services system, build homes, and develop education, health care, culture and personal services, among other things.

234.As a result of the implementation of the State programme for promoting employment, permanent jobs were found in 2015 for some 25,200 unemployed individuals living in rural areas, and 1,600 unemployed rural residents were sent for occupational training and skill upgrades.

235.In 2015, labour, employment and social welfare agencies received requests from 285 unemployed people for assistance in setting up their own businesses in rural areas. All of them were provided support through grants. The number of unemployed people living in rural areas at the end of 2015 was 6,900 (a figure lower by 1,100 than that of 2008).

236.Grants are being provided to unemployed persons who are setting up their own businesses, offering services in agritourism, or are engaged in craftwork.

237.In order to inform the public of available jobs and facilitate an efficient search for suitable work, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare maintains a national job vacancies databank (hereinafter, job vacancies bank) that contains information on available jobs and on job vacancies in national organizations that include living accommodations. The job vacancies bank is on the Internet on the Ministry’s site (http://vacancy.mintrud.by/user/Pages/Public/Agro.aspx). The information is updated daily.

238.There is a trend indicating that the gap between the wages of men and women engaged in agriculture is closing. In agriculture, the nominal aggregate monthly wage of women was 93.0 per cent of that of men in 2015 and 85.3 per cent in 2010 (on average across the republic, it was 76.2 per cent in 2015).

239.Certain categories of women employed in agriculture may retire on preferential terms (before reaching the generally established retirement age).

240.For example, women who have worked milking cows (or operating milking machines) or raising calves or pigs on collective or State farms or in other agricultural enterprises (and who have done that work for at least 25 years), as well as women who have worked as tractor drivers or mechanics in agriculture (for at least 15 years), are entitled to receive retirement benefits on preferential terms, that is, five years before reaching the generally established retirement age. The size of the early pension is not reduced.

241.Women who have given birth to five or more children and have raised them to the age of 16, may retire, regardless of age, after having worked directly in farming operations on collective farms or State farms or in other agricultural enterprises for at least 10 years (which does not include the length of time spent raising the children). The minimum length of service for the award of an early pension when compulsory insurance contributions have been paid is five years instead of the 15.5 years required for old-age pensions on general grounds in 2016 (that length of service is being increased annually on 1 January by six months until the 20-year mark is reached).

242.Public associations do vigorous work among rural women. The operations of the Selchanka organization have been based at the public association Belarusian Women’s Union since 2008.

Vulnerable groups of women

243.Income inequality has been kept consistently low in Belarus as a result of measures taken by the Government to maintain income levels. The proportion of the total population represented by the poor has dropped more than twofold since 2005 and, based on figures for 2015, is 5.1 per cent. The percentage represented by poor women is less than that for poor men — 4.8 per cent as opposed to 5.6 per cent.

244.For men and women with disabilities, the Act on State Social Benefits, Rights and Guarantees for Particular Categories of Citizens establishes equal rights and guarantees, including the provision of allowances for medications, social rehabilitation aids, treatment at health resorts and travel by public transport.

245.Disability pensions for disabled men and women are calculated by the same rules and take into account the extent of the loss of health (on the basis of a finding by a health-care expert).

246.As of 1 January 2016, there were 549,475 disabled persons (248,347 men and 301,128 women) on the rolls of labour, employment and social welfare agencies.

247.Since January 2012, a monthly pension supplement has been in place both for women and men 75 or older.

248.State employment promotion programmes include special measures of support for citizens who are not capable of competing on an equal footing on the labour market and who are in need of social welfare. Annually, employers must reserve more than 20,000 jobs for persons in need of additional employment guarantees.

249.In 2015, employers reserved jobs for 20,100 persons, including 2,100 jobs for unemployed disabled persons, 6,000 for persons released from prison and 3,300 for parents of large families and single parents.

250.In 2015, a total of 7,012 unemployed persons were placed in reserved slots, which constitutes 43.3 per cent of the total number of placements of unemployed persons in need of additional employment guarantees (the figure was 41.5 percent in 2008).

251.A total of 2,039 unemployed persons consisting of large-family parents and single parents were placed in reserved slots, as were 633 disabled persons and 1,395 persons released from prison.

252.Under part 2 of article 7 of the Employment Act, unemployed persons are entitled to free vocational guidance, psychological support and vocational training, retraining and skill upgrades upon referral by labour, employment and social welfare agencies.

253.One highly effective means of mitigating the social consequences of unemployment has been to retrain unemployed women in new trades that are in demand on the job market, including those that give them the opportunity to start their own businesses. The training is being done in more than 100 trades that are in demand on the job market, with 20 per cent of them integrated, that is, providing the opportunity to learn two or more trades.

254.In 2015, some 2,900 unemployed women were sent for vocational training, retraining and skill upgrades in the trades that were in highest demand on the job market. Priority is given to unemployed women and mothers who, because of childcare, have not worked for a lengthy period.

255.Specialists from labour, employment and social welfare agencies provide free vocational counselling and free counselling on matters of self-employment.

256.In 2015, a total of 34.7 per cent of the total number of individuals receiving grants to start their own business, offer services in agritourism, or do craftwork were women.

257.Labour, employment and social welfare agencies conduct nationwide job fairs and open houses in which women can find suitable work.

258.As of the end of 2015, some 43,300 persons had registered as unemployed, 15,200 of them — or 35.1 per cent — women. Some 19,300 individuals were receiving unemployment benefits, 8,400 of them women, which constitutes 55.2 per cent of the number of unemployed women on the rolls.

259.The law provides for 11 types of State benefits to support families with children. The childcare allowance is paid until the child reaches the age of 3, regardless of the employment or income of the parents, i.e., it is paid to virtually all families. That period is counted towards the time-in-service used in the calculation of pensions.

260.The system of State benefits for families raising children is under constant development:

(1)In 2011, the benefit paid on the birth of a child doubled (to 10 times the minimum subsistence budget for the first child and to 14 times the budget for the second and subsequent children);

(2)In 2012, the benefit for children over 3 increased (to 50 per cent of the minimum subsistence budget from 30 per cent), as did that for the care of a disabled child (to 100 per cent of the minimum subsistence budget from 65 per cent);

(3)In 2013, the benefit for the care of a child under 3 was linked to the average monthly wage of workers in the republic, enabling a twofold increase in the benefit (by making it 35 percent of the average monthly wage for the first child; 40 per cent for the second and subsequent children; and 45 per cent for a disabled child under 3) and the social protection of families raising disabled children was strengthened (the categories of recipients of the benefit for the care of a disabled child were expanded and, among other things, the benefit for temporary disability for the period of medical rehabilitation of a disabled child was introduced);

(4)In 2015, a new benefit was introduced — for children 3-18 during the period in which a child under 3 is being raised (100 per cent of the minimum subsistence budget).

261.In all, the system of State benefits in 2015 covered 541,500 children (of whom 348,300 were under the age of 3), which constitutes 30.5 per cent of all children (99.6 per cent of children under 3 are covered).

262.The sizes of State benefits are revised quarterly (1 February, 1 May, 1 August and 1 November) in connection with the increase in average monthly wage for the quarter and the increase in the average per capita minimum subsistence budget.

263.The State invests considerable resources into the development of its policy for lending for housing: the volumes of financial aid and support provided by the State to large and young families to pay off debt on preferential and non-preferential loans for housing construction have been increased, and the interest rate on preferential loans has been lowered to 5 per cent for young families with two children.

264.Belarus has a system of targeted social assistance to provide social support to poor families and individuals and to families and individuals experiencing hardship. The criterion for designating families (individuals) as poor is the average per capita minimum subsistence budget.

265.The targeted social assistance system has five social benefits, including, for poor families (individuals), a monthly social benefit and the provision of food for children in the first two years of their lives. A one-time social benefit is provided for individuals experiencing hardship.

266.The main purpose of these social benefits is to provide support to the poor in acquiring food, medicines, clothing, shoes and school supplies and to meet other of their vital needs, as well as to ensure a balanced, high-quality diet for young children.

267.In 2015, some 251,300 individuals received targeted social assistance.

268.A total of 11,257 families (27,268 individuals) were recipients of monthly and one-time benefits as single-parent families, and food items were provided free of charge to 10,737 children in 9,650 single-parent families.

269.Families and single mothers raising disabled children with special developmental needs have exercised their right to social services in residential care homes. A total 754 minors reside in 10 such institutions, and of those children, 47 are orphans, 450 are children without parental care and 257 are disabled children who receive services at the request of their parents.

270.The law makes it possible for individuals (regardless of sex) who care for a disabled family member (a group I disabled person or an elderly person who has reached the age of 80 and is in need of care) to receive a care allowance (if certain conditions are met). On 1 January 2012, the size of the allowance increased to the following: 100 per cent of the average per capita minimum subsistence budget (1,591,300 roubles in February) for permanent care of one disabled person, and 120 per cent of the average per capita minimum subsistence budget (1,909,600 roubles in February) for the simultaneous care of two or more disabled persons).

Marriage and family relations

271.The Marriage and Family Code of Belarus enshrines the principle of the equality of the spouses in the family. All issues regarding marital and family relations are decided by the spouses jointly, by mutual consent and on the basis of equality.

272.Under the Code, property acquired by the spouses during their marriage is their joint property, regardless of for which of the spouses it was acquired or for which of the spouses or by which of the spouses money was provided. Spouses have equal rights of ownership, use and disposal of the property, unless otherwise stipulated in the marriage contract.

273.If there is a division of property that constitutes joint property of the spouses, their shares are to be equal, unless otherwise stipulated in the marriage contract. The court may decide against recognizing the shares as equal in consideration of the interests of minor children or of adult children who are unable to work and are in need of assistance or in consideration of interests of one of the spouses that merit the attention.

274.If there is a marriage contract, the court, in the division of joint property, takes the terms of the contract as a point of departure in determining which items are to be transmitted to which spouse.

275.A wife in need of financial assistance during pregnancy; a spouse who is caring for a common child under the age of 3 or a common disabled child under the age of 18 or a common adult child unable to work; and a spouse who is unable to work have the right to petition the court for maintenance from a spouse who has the means to provide it.

276.A former wife who is in need of financial assistance and is pregnant retains the right to receive maintenance from a former husband who has the means to provide it if the pregnancy occurred before the dissolution of the marriage.

277.When the court’s decision to dissolve the marriage is recorded, if there is a dispute on the rearing and maintenance of the children, the court determines with which of the parents the children will live, the arrangements for the non-custodial parent’s contact with the children and participation in their upbringing and the amount of child support if there is no marital contract or agreement concerning the children or if the marital contract or agreement concerning the children does not cover those issues (article 39 of the Marriage and Family Code).

278.In the overwhelming majority of cases, if the parents take up separate residences, the courts rule that the child will live with the mother.

279.The court may decide to limit one or both parents’ contact with a child for a given or indefinite period if the parents violate the agreement concerning the children or the court’s decision or if their contact does not serve the interests of the child (part 2 of article 77 of the Marriage and Family Code).

280.Under article 85 of the Marriage and Family Code, if leaving the child with the individuals with whom the child is placed represents a danger to the child, the court may decide to remove the child and place him or her in the care of a tutorship and guardianship authority without depriving the parents of their parental rights. In such cases, the parents have the right to have contact with the child in the manner prescribed by law. If it is the opinion of the tutorship and guardianship authority that the reasons serving as grounds for removal of the child have ceased to exist, the court, at the request of the parents and based on the best interests of the child, renders the decision to return the child to his or her parents. The wishes of a child who has reached the age of 10 must be taken into account.

Additional information

281.In 2015, the Republic of Belarus signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 13 December 2006 (Presidential Decree No. 401 of 24 September 2015). Work is progressing on the preparation of the bill to ratify the Convention.

282.The following State programmes were adopted in 2016:

(1)State programme for the public health and demographic security of Belarus for 2016-2020 (Council of Ministers Resolution No. 200 of 14 March 2016);

(2)State programme for social welfare and promotion of employment for 2016-2020 (Council of Ministers Resolution No. 73 of 30 January 2016);

283.Belarus has decided to raise the retirement age in stages. Beginning 1 January 2017, the generally established retirement age will be raised annually by six months until it reaches 63 for men and 58 for women (Presidential Decree No. 137 of 11 April 2016).

284.Combating human trafficking is a priority of the Government of Belarus. For a number of years, Belarus has been committed to enhancing international efforts to counter human trafficking and has consistently promoted initiatives to eradicate the problem on a global scale.

285.At the initiative of Belarus, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution on improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons at its sixty-eighth session (November 2013) and seventieth session (November 2015). Under the resolution, the General Assembly decided to designate 30 July as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, to be observed every year beginning in 2014.

286.In May 2014, at the twenty-third session of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, a resolution at the initiative of Belarus was adopted on preventing and combating trafficking in human organs and trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal.

287.In May 2015, in the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the Belarusian delegation initiated a resolution that was adopted on implementation of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

Annex

Population, by age

(as of beginning of year, in persons)

Entire population

Males and females

By age, in years	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
0 - 4	478 431	500 431	518 350	533 353	549 462	562 055	573 012	585 524
5 - 9	446 000	441 928	440 390	445 278	459 747	479 639	502 262	521 443
10 - 14	479 967	462 868	454 429	451 000	451 056	447 088	443 395	442 365
15 - 19	668 091	627 279	586 677	546 438	506 371	482 256	465 604	457 158
20 - 24	782 776	776 514	762 499	736 776	711 362	671 668	631 754	593 534
25 - 29	732 530	748 832	761 034	776 658	784 095	781 505	775 281	762 867
30 - 34	675 484	681 304	687 655	695 673	706 058	727 041	744 290	758 111
35 - 39	661 126	663 663	664 295	662 867	662 350	667 409	673 776	681 551
40 - 44	675 904	658 056	651 083	648 913	650 438	649 993	653 139	654 888
45 - 49	792 268	769 889	739 017	708 151	680 982	659 294	642 694	637 027
50 - 54	738 733	756 413	771 322	778 969	776 710	763 327	743 451	715 806
55 - 59	612 542	615 671	630 571	646 080	666 209	696 903	715 939	732 600
60 - 64	404 585	457 341	507 001	537 432	553 366	562 068	567 427	583 779
65 - 69	377 730	339 783	304 566	294 500	317 172	359 109	408 295	454 419
70 or older	987 390	1 000 000	1 002 304	1 003 062	988 462	958 799	940 549	917 292
Grand total	9 513 557	9 499 972	9 481 193	9 465 150	9 463 840	9 468 154	9 480 868	9 498 364

Males

By age, in years:	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
0 - 4	245 830	257 291	266 955	274 647	282 957	289 370	295 149	301 634
5 - 9	229 085	226 992	226 109	228 526	236 042	246 370	258 189	268 468
10 - 14	247 229	238 179	233 319	231 713	231 879	229 555	227 672	227 044
15 - 19	343 850	323 129	302 105	280 726	260 424	248 418	239 685	234 755
20 - 24	400 801	398 292	391 788	378 975	365 467	344 808	324 467	304 771
25 - 29	370 475	379 195	386 043	394 929	399 619	399 208	396 607	391 179
30 - 34	334 828	339 113	343 355	348 168	354 275	366 062	375 255	383 236
35 - 39	321 860	323 244	324 302	324 551	325 143	328 482	333 121	338 322
40 - 44	325 427	317 159	313 478	312 283	313 061	313 157	314 962	316 828
45 - 49	379 029	367 366	351 862	336 554	323 502	312 426	305 209	302 541
50 - 54	342 335	351 314	358 837	362 487	361 284	356 227	346 439	333 435
55 - 59	272 810	273 696	280 389	287 188	297 028	311 780	321 461	330 418
60 - 64	171 821	194 753	214 790	226 842	232 785	235 845	238 277	245 771
65 - 69	143 576	129 449	116 509	113 784	124 068	140 810	160 953	178 596
70 or older	296 331	299 118	298 318	296 920	289 992	278 693	271751	263 844
Grand total	4 425 287	4 418 290	4 408 159	4 398 293	4 397 526	4 401 211	4 409 197	4 420 842

Females

By age, in years:	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
0 - 4	232 601	243 140	251 395	258 706	266 505	272 685	277 863	283 890
5 - 9	216 915	214 936	214 281	216 752	223 705	233 269	244 073	252 975
10 - 14	232 738	224 689	221 110	219 287	219 177	217 533	215 723	215 321
15 - 19	324 241	304 150	284 572	265 712	245 947	233 838	225 919	222 403
20 - 24	381 975	378 222	370 711	357 801	345 895	326 860	307 287	288 763
25 - 29	362 055	369 637	374 991	381 729	384 476	382 297	378 674	371 688
30 - 34	340 656	342 191	344 300	347 505	351 783	360 979	369 035	374 875
35 - 39	339 266	340 419	339 993	338 316	337 207	338 927	340 655	343 229
40 - 44	350 477	340 897	337 605	336 630	337 377	336 836	338 177	338 060
45 - 49	413 239	402 523	387 155	371 597	357 480	346 868	337 485	334 486
50 - 54	396 398	405 099	412 485	416 482	415 426	407 100	397 012	382 371
55 - 59	339 732	341 975	350 182	358 892	369 181	385 123	394 478	402 182
60 - 64	232 764	262 588	292 211	310 590	320 581	326 223	329 150	338 008
65 - 69	234 154	210 334	188 057	180 716	193 104	218 299	247 342	275 823
70 or older	691 059	700 882	703 986	706 142	698 470	680 106	668 798	653 448
Grand total	5 088 270	5 081 682	5 073 034	5 066 857	5 066 314	5 066 943	5 071 671	5 077 522

Urban Population

Males and females

By age, in years	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
0 - 4	364 666	383 176	399 467	413 356	427 202	437 285	447 456	458 564
5 - 9	331 572	331 851	333 386	340 801	354 800	373 901	393 824	410 762
10 - 14	341 927	330 779	328 990	330 739	335 388	336 924	337 758	339 482
15 - 19	528 006	507 371	477 448	444 552	407 276	387 454	377 096	374 934
20 - 24	630 141	628 688	623 854	617 682	609 448	582 340	552 175	519 668
25 - 29	593 989	610 670	624 508	640 399	648 240	649 073	647 544	644 530
30 - 34	534 392	544 831	556 474	569 340	582 094	603 873	621 649	635 913
35 - 39	501 092	507 831	513 610	518 237	523 775	533 917	544 754	555 793
40 - 44	501 594	488 134	484 729	486 817	491 676	496 333	502 897	507 751
45 - 49	593 843	576 617	552 858	529 367	508 458	491 728	478 810	475 088
50 - 54	556 751	569 119	579 858	585 651	583 910	574 417	558 531	535 229
55 - 59	462 951	467 377	479 620	492 157	506 142	528 789	541 360	551 496
60 - 64	293 836	339 187	380 209	405 645	419 243	428 543	433 447	444 164
65 - 69	244 169	221 871	203 665	203 591	227 309	264 016	305 366	341 501
70 or older	548 143	569 515	583 657	596 604	595 972	586 182	582 313	575 170
Grand total	7 027 072	7 077 017	7 122 333	7 174 938	7 220 933	7 274 775	7 324 980	7 370 045

Males

By age, in years:	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
0 - 4	187 530	197 208	205 904	212 723	219 914	225 105	230 273	236 232
5 - 9	170 452	170 582	171 276	175 242	182 371	192 245	202 661	211 564
10 - 14	176 257	170 328	168 909	170 069	172 614	173 072	173 499	174 463
15 - 19	269 424	257 767	241 811	224 374	205 930	196 404	190 768	188 972
20 - 24	317 542	317 082	314 645	310 926	305 654	291 203	275 883	259 479
25 - 29	297 400	305 519	312 536	320 637	324 884	325 264	324 510	323 040
30 - 34	262 049	268 551	275 281	282 205	288 868	300 562	309 258	316 800
35 - 39	238 583	242 745	246 594	250 175	254 157	259 919	266 516	272 884
40 - 44	233 172	227 691	226 573	228 121	230 935	234 179	238 019	241 292
45 - 49	272 245	264 009	252 946	242 209	233 039	225 158	220 112	218 868
50 - 54	247 674	253 291	258 404	260 935	260 002	256 895	249 758	239 405
55 - 59	199 495	200 658	205 569	210 437	216 719	226 859	232 537	237 558
60 - 64	123 710	142 056	157 554	166 796	171 253	174 181	175 847	179 848
65 - 69	93 858	85 477	78 889	79 409	89 051	102 942	118 646	131 382
70 or older	166 942	173 182	176 725	179 989	178 397	173 978	171 854	169 002
Grand total	3 256 333	3 276 146	3 293 616	3 314 247	3 333 788	3 357 966	3 380 141	3 400 789

Females

By age, in years:	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
0 - 4	177 136	185 968	193 563	200 633	207 288	212 180	217 183	222 332
5 - 9	161 120	161 269	162 110	165 559	172 429	181 656	191 163	199 198
10 - 14	165 670	160 451	160 081	160 670	162 774	163 852	164 259	165 019
15 - 19	258 582	249 604	235 637	220 178	201 346	191 050	186 328	185 962
20 - 24	312 599	311 606	309 209	306 756	303 794	291 137	276 292	260 189
25 - 29	296 589	305 151	311 972	319 762	323 356	323 809	323 034	321 490
30 - 34	272 343	276 280	281 193	287 135	293 226	303 311	312 391	319 113
35 - 39	262 509	265 086	267 016	268 062	269 618	273 998	278 238	282 909
40 - 44	268 422	260 443	258 156	258 696	260 741	262 154	264 878	266 459
45 - 49	321 598	312 608	299 912	287 158	275 419	266 570	258 698	256 220
50 - 54	309 077	315 828	321 454	324 716	323 908	317 522	308 773	295 824
55 - 59	263 456	266 719	274 051	281 720	289 423	301 930	308 823	313 938
60 - 64	170 126	197 131	222 655	238 849	247 990	254 362	257 600	264 316
65 - 69	150 311	136 394	124 776	124 182	138 258	161 074	186 720	210 119
70 or older	381 201	396 333	406 932	416 615	417 575	412 204	410 459	406 168
Grand total	3 770 739	3 800 871	3 828 717	3 860 691	3 887 145	3 916 809	3 944 839	3 969 256

Rural population

Males and females

By age, in years:	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
0 - 4	113 765	117 255	118 883	119 997	122 260	124 770	125 556	126 960
5 - 9	114 428	110 077	107 004	104 477	104 947	105 738	108 438	110 681
10 - 14	138 040	132 089	125 439	120 261	115 668	110 164	105 637	102 883
15 - 19	140 085	119 908	109 229	101 886	99 095	94 802	88 508	82 224
20 - 24	152 635	147 826	138 645	119 094	101 914	89 328	79 579	73 866
25 - 29	138 541	138 162	136 526	136 259	135 855	132 432	127 737	118 337
30 - 34	141 092	136 473	131 181	126 333	123 964	123 168	122 641	122 198
35 - 39	160 034	155 832	150 685	144 630	138 575	133 492	129 022	125 758
40 - 44	174 310	169 922	166 354	162 096	158 762	153 660	150 242	147 137
45 - 49	198 425	193 272	186 159	178 784	172 524	167 566	163 884	161 939
50 - 54	181 982	187 294	191 464	193 318	192 800	188 910	184 920	180 577
55 - 59	149 591	148 294	150 951	153 923	160 067	168 114	174 579	181 104
60 - 64	110 749	118 154	126 792	131 787	134 123	133 525	133 980	139 615
65 - 69	133 561	117 912	100 901	90 909	89 863	95 093	102 929	112 918
70 or older	439 247	430 485	418 647	406 458	392 490	372 617	358 236	342 122
Grand total	2 486 485	2 422 955	2 358 860	2 290 212	2 242 907	2 193 379	2 155 888	2 128 319

Males

By age, in years:	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
0 - 4	58 300	60 083	61 051	61 924	63 043	64 265	64 876	65 402
5 - 9	58 633	56 410	54 833	53 284	53 671	54 125	55 528	56 904
10 - 14	70 972	67 851	64 410	61 644	59 265	56 483	54 173	52 581
15 - 19	74 426	65 362	60 294	56 352	54 494	52 014	48 917	45 783
20 - 24	83 259	81 210	77 143	68 049	59 813	53 605	48 584	45 292
25 - 29	73 075	73 676	73 507	74 292	74 735	73 944	72 097	68 139
30 - 34	72 779	70 562	68 074	65 963	65 407	65 500	65 997	66 436
35 - 39	83 277	80 499	77 708	74 376	70 986	68 563	66 605	65 438
40 - 44	92 255	89 468	86 905	84 162	82 126	78 978	76 943	75 536
45 - 49	106 784	103 357	98 916	94 345	90 463	87 268	85 097	83 673
50 - 54	94 661	98 023	100 433	101 552	101 282	99 332	96 681	94 030
55 - 59	73 315	73 038	74 820	76 751	80 309	84 921	88 924	92 860
60 - 64	48 111	52 697	57 236	60 046	61 532	61 664	62 430	65 923
65 - 69	49 718	43 972	37 620	34 375	35 017	37 868	42 307	47 214
70 or older	129 389	125 936	121 593	116 931	111 595	104 715	99 897	94 842
Grand total	1 168 954	1 142 144	1 114 543	1 084 046	1 063 738	1 043 245	1 029 056	1 020 053

Females

By age, in years:	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
0 - 4	55 465	57 172	57 832	58 073	59 217	60 505	60 680	61 558
5 - 9	55 795	53 667	52 171	51 193	51 276	51 613	52 910	53 777
10 - 14	67 068	64 238	61 029	58 617	56 403	53 681	51 464	50 302
15 - 19	65 659	54 546	48 935	45 534	44 601	42 788	39 591	36 441
20 - 24	69 376	66 616	61 502	51 045	42 101	35 723	30 995	28 574
25 - 29	65 466	64 486	63 019	61 967	61 120	58 488	55 640	50 198
30 - 34	68 313	65 911	63 107	60 370	58 557	57 668	56 644	55 762
35 - 39	76 757	75 333	72 977	70 254	67 589	64 929	62 417	60 320
40 - 44	82 055	80 454	79 449	77 934	76 636	74 682	73 299	71 601
45 - 49	91 641	89 915	87 243	84 439	82 061	80 298	78 787	78 266
50 - 54	87 321	89 271	91 031	91 766	91 518	89 578	88 239	86 547
55 - 59	76 276	75 256	76 131	77 172	79 758	83 193	85 655	88 244
60 - 64	62 638	65 457	69 556	71 741	72 591	71 861	71 550	73 692
65 - 69	83 843	73 940	63 281	56 534	54 846	57 225	60 622	65 704
70 or older	309 858	304 549	297 054	289 527	280 895	267 902	258 339	247 280
Grand total	1 317 531	1 280 811	1 244 317	1 206 166	1 179 169	1 150 134	1 126 832	1 108 266

Life expectancy at birth (years)

Years	Entire population		Urban population		Rural population
Males and females	Males	Females	Males and females	Males	Females	Males and females	Males	Females
2008	70.5	64.7	76.5	71.9	66.3	77.3	66.6	60.4	74.4
2009	70.5	64.7	76.4	72.1	66.5	77.3	66.4	60.3	73.9
2010	70.4	64.6	76.5	72.1	66.4	77.6	66.1	60.1	73.8
2011	70.6	64.7	76.7	72.2	66.4	77.8	66.4	60.3	74.1
2012	72.2	66.6	77.6	73.5	68.0	78.5	68.4	62.7	75.3
2013	72.6	67.3	77.9	73.9	68.6	78.7	68.9	63.3	75.5
2014	73.2	67.8	78.4	74.4	69.1	79.2	69.6	64.1	76.1
2015	73.9	68.6	78.9	75.0	69.8	79.7	70.4	65.1	76.6

Usage of female contraceptives

	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Women under observation (as of end of year), in thous. persons
with intrauterine coils	559.3	522.9	525.5	515.0	505.8	481.5	477.1	443.0
as a percen tage of women in age bracket 15- 49	22.3	21.1	21.5	21.5	21.4	20.7	20.8	19.5
using hormonal contraceptives	455.2	455.3	478.6	450.5	437.0	452.8	426.9	420.2
as a percen tage of women in age bracket 15- 49	18.1	18.4	19.6	18.8	18.5	19.5	18.6	18.5
having intrauterine coils inserted, in units	34 734	32 671	40 488	27 085	24 854	22 145	19 800	19 798
per 100 wome n in age bracket 15- 49	1.4	1.3	1.7	1.1	1.1	1.0	0.9	0.9

Abortions, by age group

	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Number of abortions in women by age, in years:
under 15	33	41	17	23	29	27	14	13
15- 19	3 897	3 153	2 632	2 227	1 781	1 830	1 597	1 362
20- 34	29 604	25 255	23 646	23 093	20 541	22 319	21 533	21 208
35 or older	8 663	7 518	6 967	6 688	6 277	7 030	6 653	6 634
Number of abortions per 1,000 women by age, in years:
under 15	0. 1	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
15- 19	11.7	10.0	8.9	8.1	7.0	7.6	6.9	6.1
20- 34	27.3	23.2	21.7	21.2	18.9	20.7	20.3	20.3
35 or older	7.8	6.9	6.5	6.3	6.0	6.8	6.5	6.5
Number of abortions among women with first pregnancy	7 110	5 745	5 021	4 928	4 076	4 784	4 426	4 453

Morbidity for HIV infection, by age group

By age, in years:	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Number of persons newly diagnosed with HIV infection, grand total	881	1 072	1 069	1 196	1 223	1 533	1 811	2 305
Person
0- 14	17	16	24	23	16	17	18	26
15- 19	20	33	22	17	23	24	12	20
20- 29	407	433	396	396	369	408	499	594
30- 39	308	411	424	497	491	633	725	1 034
40 or older	129	179	203	263	324	451	557	631
Women	427	510	506	575	564	731	759	910
By age, in years:
0- 14	8	6	10	11	7	8	7	13
15- 19	19	28	18	13	17	17	10	14
20- 29	238	246	220	226	209	212	249	285
30- 39	112	153	179	212	194	307	284	356
40 or older	50	77	79	113	137	187	209	242
	Per 100,000 population of given sex and age
	By age, in years:	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
	Number of persons newly diagnosed with HIV infection, grand total	9.2	11.3	11.3	12.6	12.9	16.2	19.1	24.3
	0 - 14	1.2	1.1	1.7	1.6	1.1	1.2	1.2	1.7
	15 - 19	2.9	5.1	3.6	3.0	4.4	4.9	2.5	4.3
	20 - 29	27.0	28.5	26.0	26.1	24.5	27.7	34.9	43.0
	30 - 39	23.0	30.7	31.4	36.7	36.0	45.8	51.6	72.4
	40 or older	2.8	3.9	4.4	5.7	7.0	9.7	12.0	13.5
	Women	8.4	10.0	10.0	11.3	11.1	14.4	15.0	17.9
	By age, in years:
	0 - 14	1.2	0.9	1.5	1.6	1.0	1.1	1.0	1.7
	15 - 19	5.7	8.9	6.1	4.7	6.6	7.1	4.4	6.2
	20 - 29	32.1	33.0	29.5	30.4	28.4	29.5	35.7	42.3
	30 - 39	16.5	22.5	26.2	30.9	28.2	44.2	40.3	49.9
	40 or older	1.9	2.9	3.0	4.2	5.1	6.9	7.7	8.9

Attitude of public towards domestic violence

(based on data of Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey to evaluate the status of children and women (MICS4), 2012, as a percentage)

Percentage of those who think husband is entitled to beat his wife if she:	Population by age 15-49	Residing in:
	Urban and suburban areas		Rural settlements
Women	Men		Women	Men		Women	Men
leaves the house without telling him	0.6	0.6	0.4	0.2	1.3	1.7
neglects the children	3.8	3.7	2.6	2.9	7.1	5.8
challenges him	0.9	0.7	0.7	0.5	1.5	1.2
refuses to have intercourse	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.2	0.7	1.3
burns the food	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.5	0.3
any of the above reasons	4.1	4.2	2.9	3.4	7.6	6.7

Experienced domestic violence

(based on data of MICS4, 2012, as a percentage)

	Women in the age bracket 15-49 who are married or have been married	Residing in:
Urban and suburban areas	Rural settlements
Percentage of women who have ever experienced domestic violence	11.8	10.4	16.0
Experienced violence in the 12 months immediately preceding survey:
Everyday or almost everyday	0.6	0.4	1.3
1 or 2 times a week	0.9	0.8	1.4
1 or 2 times a month	1.3	1.0	2.2
Less than once a month	4.5	4.3	5.3
Found it difficult to estimate	4.4	3.9	5.9

Aggregate nominal average wage for workers, for December

(in thousands of roubles)

Years	Males	Females	Ratio of women ’ s wages to men ’ s, as a percentage
2008	1 147.8	848.0	73.9
2009	1 240.2	924.7	74.6
2010	1 792.1	1 373.1	76.6
2011	3 292.8	2 428.2	73.7
2012	5 397.7	4 019.9	74.5
2013	6 655.0	4 960.6	74.5
2014	7 635.4	5 851.5	76.6
2015	8 367.4	6 374.8	76.2

Composition of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus

(as of 1 January, in persons)

Years	Council of the Republic		House of Representatives
Grand total	Men	Women		Grand total	Men	Women
2008	58	40	18	110	78	32
2009	58	39	19	110	75	35
2010	58	39	19	110	75	35
2011	58	39	19	110	75	35
2012	58	39	19	110	75	35
2013	58	38	20	109	80	29
2014	56	36	20	109	80	29
2015	58	39	19	110	80	30
2016	58	39	19	110	80	30

Number of civil servants of State agencies and other government organizations, by level of government

(percentage)

	As of 1 November 2013		As of 1 July 2015
Men	Women	Distribution by gender		Men	Women	Distribution by gender
Men	Women	Men	Women
Civil servants, grand total	100	100	30.1	69.9	100	100	29.9	70.1
Employed in:
Legislative bodies	0.9	0.4	48.5	51.5	1.0	0.4	48.4	51.6
Executive bodies	48.7	47.5	30.6	69.4	49.5	48.9	30.2	69.8
Judicial bodies	5.5	6.2	27.6	72.4	4.1	3.7	32.1	67.9
Government agencies with special c onstitutional and legal status	11.3	4.6	51.3	48.7	11.6	4.8	51.0	49.0
Local government and self-governing bodies	33.6	41.3	26.0	74.0	33.8	42.2	25.5	74.5

Recorded crimes involving human trafficking (in number of cases)

	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Organization and/or use of prostitution or creation of conditions for prostitution, article 171	87	107	123	116	76	47	34	52
Inducement into, or coercion to continue engaging in, prostitution (art. 171-1)	34	39	49	41	34	18	15	36
Human trafficking, article 181	66	47	30	4	2	3	–	1
Use of slave labour, article 181-1	–	1	1	–	1	–	1	1
Kidnapping (for the purpose of exploitation) article 182, part 2	16	11	16	9	5	11	10	27
Unlawful acts related to the employment of Belarusian citizens abroad, article 187	22	18	9	6	6	3	–	–

Convicted of crimes involving human trafficking (in persons)

	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Organization and/or use of prostitution or creation of conditions for prostitution, article 171	–	–	–	–	–	24	21	25
Inducement into, or coercion to continue engaging in, prostitution, article 171-1	–	–	–	–	–	1	2	1
Human trafficking, article 181	17	19	12	3	–	3	–	–
Kidnapping (for the purpose of exploitation) article 182, part 2	–	–	–	–	–	3	10	17
Unlawful acts related to the employment of Belarusian citizens abroad, article 187	–	–	–	–	–	1	–	–