In the framework of the joint project of the United Nations Population Fund and LADY.TUT.BY “The Secret of Success” Internet users have selected “Top 10 Most Successful Belarusian Women”. The project aims to motivate Belarusian women to accomplish their most ambitious goals. 

The contestants were selected in two stages. The first stage was nomination by Internet users, followed by an open voting for contestants. 

“While developing this project we intentionally did not set any criteria to measure the degree of success, as we all decide this for ourselves - relying on our personal ideas and experience” said Ms. Tatyana Haplichnik, UNFPA Programme Analyst. “This rating is just an occasion to find out who people want to look up to and whose example is an inspiration for people. This time Internet users only nominated and voted for Belarusian celebrities but we hope that next time not only media personalities but also less known Belarusian women will be noticed, as everyone of us is successful in her own field”. 

So, according to the users of LADY.TUT.BY the following are top 10 most successful Belarusian women: 

1. Darya Domracheva, athlete; 
2. Victoria Azarenka, athlete; 
3. Irina Alkhovka, Chairperson of the Board, Gender Perspectives international public association; 
4. Tamara Lisitskaya, writer, presenter; 
5. Anna Khitrik, actress, Yanka Kupala National Academic Theatre; 
6. Anna Bond, TV presenter; 
7. Natalia Gromadskikh, Director, Belarusian PR Institute; 
8. Zhanna Grinyuk, Director, SATIO Group; 
9. Larisa Gribalyova, Director, event agency; 
10. Ludmila Rublevskaya, writer / Inna Afanasieva, singer (won the same number of votes). 

The next stage will be a round table discussion of achieving success and social standing by women. 
Below is the list of some of the 40 contestants for whom Internet users cast their votes: Irina Iteira, Yuliya Liashkevich, Lucia Lushchik, Svetlana Aleksievich, Anna Chistoserdova, Elena Spiridovich, Tatyana Rineiskaya, Natalia Krashevskaya, Elena Korovets, Tamara Goncharova, Elena Levchenko, Tatyana Bondarchuk, Valeriya Arlanova, Olga Khizhinkova, Natalia Potkina, Anna Gomanova, Darya Egorchenko, Alesia Kodush, Tatyana Kurbat, Zhanna Litvina, Marianna Shchiotkina, Anastasiya Vereemenko, Irina Kabasakal, Leila Ismailova, Yuliya Latushkina, Anna Eismont. 

For further information, please, contact Ms. Volha Herasenka, Communications Assistant, UNFPA in Belarus, tel. in Minsk: 327 45 27 or mobile: 8 029 178 67 00. 

UNFPA MANDATE. SUMMARY. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunities. We support countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. 

UNFPA started working in Belarus in 1994; today it renders assistance to the country in the elaboration and implementation of the National Demographic Security Programme, provides to the country its expertise in the development of the national reproductive health strategy and acts in the field of achieving gender equality, including prevention of and combating domestic violence. 
UNFPA – because everyone counts. 

For more information about UNFPA activity in Belarus visit www.unfpa.by