Equal opportunities and a special gynecological examination table: a new women's health project has been launched in Belarus

"Byazmezhnaya" (eng. "No Limits") crowdfunding campaign has been launched in Belarus to raise funds for the procurement of a gynecological examination table adapted for women with disabilities on the Ulej site. Supporting the project is possible until October 12.

Start with oneself for every woman's health

The main lot of the"Byazmezhnaya" (eng. "No Limits") crowdfunding project is the certificate for the diagnostic kit by EVA CLINIC women's health clinic, which includes a full set of procedures necessary for the periodical gynecological examination. During the crowdfunding campaign, it can be purchased at Ulej.by at a 30% discount for 70 Belarusian rubles instead of 99. In this way, the organizers intend to collect the necessary amount for the purchase of the examination table and to remind women of the importance of consulting a gynecologist on a regular basis. One can activate the lot within a year of the date of the purchase.

After the project is completed, FLO Health, developer of a women's health mobile application Flo and a resident of the Hi-Tech Park will transfer to the project's account precisely the amount paid for the lots with certificates. Today, the Hi-Tech Park and its companies place great emphasis on the use of IT in medicine and the support of social projects of great significance for the country. The funds from the Flo Health Company will be transferred to the Republican Association of Wheelchair Users for the purchase of a special gynaecological examination table for Brest Oblast Maternity Hospital.

Before that, in May 2019, Minsk oblast maternity hospital received one such examination table thanks to the funding from the businesses signatories of the Global Compact in Belarus. Dobra Local Foundation is the GC office in Belarus.

The organizers need support of 150 women for the project to succeed.

"The purpose of Flo is to help women around the world make health consciousness a priority," says Ekaterina Romanovskaya, Brand and Communications Director, Flo Health. "And for us this project is exactly about the importance of health consciousness for a woman. Besides, it is about solidarity. Just as Flo brings together millions of women around the world, so the "Byazmezhnaya" (eng."No Limits") project aims to bring together women on such an important issue. For us it is essential not just to buy the examination table and give it to the clinic. We want an open dialogue about the right to reproductive health for every woman in the society and we want as many healthcare organizations in Belarus to be equipped with examination tables for women with disabilities as possible."

Additional ways to support the project are special lots from Ekaterina Bezrukova, TIKOTA UNIQUE designer. Participants can buy a No Limits branded T-shirt or a belt bag.

Ten rubles from the sale of each lot will be transferred to the project's account. One of the project's global goals is to install at least one gynecological examination table for women with disabilities in each oblast centre of Belarus.

Who else the "Byazmezhnaya" (eng."No Limits") campaign will help

In order to support women of any age and social background in their conscious choice to be healthy, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Belarus along with Republican Association of Wheelchair Users (RAWU), Dobra Foundation, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, Hi-Tech Park, Flo Health startup company, EVA CLINIC women's health clinic and Ulej crowdfunding site launched the "No Limits" project.

Today, there are over one billion people in the world living with this or that disability. There are more than 570,000 persons with disabilities in Belarus. That is why women with disabilities have become a key audience of the project. They permanently encounter barriers in access to various services, including sexual and reproductive health services. The causes are lack of medical equipment adapted for the needs of persons with disabilities, high quality information, and adequate knowledge of healthcare personnel, plus stereotyping the health of persons with disabilities and their needs.

"We launched the project to change the society's attitude towards the issue of the reproductive health of women with disabilities and to grant them access to healthcare services that meet their needs," says Aliaksandr Davidzienka, UNFPA Programme Analyst. "Sexual and reproductive health of women with disabilities is still a taboo topic in the society. The "No Limits" project will give us a chance to improve the infrastructure of reproductive health services for women with disabilities to a high standard and will also make it possible to make a big step forward in overcoming the stereotypes in this sphere."

The crowdfunding campaign on Ulej.by will last until October 12. The organizers of the "Byazmezhnaya" (eng."No Limits") project invite all interested women to participate in open meetings with experts where they will be able to discuss the special aspects of taking care of their health and receive answers to any questions. The complete schedule is available on the site and in the project's social media.