Julia Mickiewicz
(Julia befinner sig i Litauen och kan genomföra digitala arrangemang på engelska)
“Keep training your inner feminist eye, even during political oppresion.”
Belarusian Political activist, Women rights defender, International Civil Society expert
ABF Belarus
Background
Julia is the Belarusian civil society fighter who kept holding ABF-circles even when imprisoned in Lukashenka’s prison. Currently, Julia is the General manager of the organization of civic and non-formal education ABF Belarus, based on human rights-based approach, promoting social justice, gender equality, nondiscrimination and diversity. It was recognized as an «extremist formation» by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus in October 2024.
Julia was detained and imprisoned for 15 days in October 2020 because of her participation in a general Belarusian national protest and Women marches and solidarity actions in particular, as well as for creation of the FemGroup what was reflected by Lukashenka political regime as the big threat. After she was released, forcibly fled from Belarus to Lithuania, where lives until now in exile.
Julia is also co-founder of the Organization to promote gender equality and advocate women rights FemGroup Belarus.
Talks about
The aim of the FemGroupestablishment was to empower women political engagement and leadership, not to forget and not to lose achievements of impressive and valuable impact of Belarusian women who stranded in front of the most massive political demonstrations and protests against falsifications of the presidential elections and unprecedented violence afterwards.
“We Belarusians use humor as a defense. But every day I am worried about those who remain in the country and continue with our work.”