International Women's Day: European women fighting for freedom and peace

Marking International Women’s Day, guests from Belarus and Ukraine, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, Leniie Umerova and Tata Kepler, addressed MEPs

Opening the ceremony, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said: “I am proud that the European Parliament has and will always be a force for democracy, equality and solidarity. Today, we pay tribute to the courageous women across Europe who are standing up for the values so many of us, too often, take for granted.”

In her address, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of Belarus’ democratic forces, thanked the EU and its member states for their support for Belarus civil society and media. For Belarusian women, International Women’s Day was not about celebrating but about struggling for peace, justice and democracy. She stressed the need to keep fighting for the release of the more than 1,200 political prisoners, including 155 women. “We continue to fight for the values that define Europe – freedom, security and prosperity”, Ms Tsikhanouskaya added. Expressing strong support for Ukraine, she stressed that the fates of Belarus and Ukraine were deeply intertwined. Ms Tsikhanouskaya called for a European perspective for Belarus, and for the EU to tighten its pressure on Lukashenka’s regime. A free Belarus able to halt Russia's advance into Europe was only possible if Europe was strong and united.

Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, a Belarusian opposition activist and former political prisoner, called on the EU to pressure the Belarusian regime to release its thousands of political prisoners. She emphasised the need to ostracise the Belarusian regime both politically and economically, and called for increased pressure on Lukashenko through stricter enforcement of sanctions and a full trade embargo.

Leniie Umerova, a Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar activist, recounted her nearly two-year imprisonment in Russia after being abducted by Russian security forces while attempting to visit her sick father in Crimea. She described the injustices she faced, including physical and psychological abuse, interrogations and solitary confinement. Ms Umerova highlighted ongoing Russian persecution in the occupied territories, where civilians face abduction, deportation and forced labour, with any defiance punished by imprisonment. She shared stories of women subjected to torture and denied medical care.

Tata Kepler, a Ukrainian volunteer in military medicine, shared her experience supporting victims of the war, including those affected by sexual violence. She described her efforts to assist civilians in de-occupied territories, emphasising the war's deep impact on Ukrainian women and children. "Here and now the genocide of the Ukrainian people is spreading before your eyes", she said, calling on the international community to act against Russia’s aggression. She pointed out that over 130,000 Ukrainian women are serving in the security and defence sector, with many awaiting the return of loved ones from captivity.