October 14 – Republican Mother's Day

Mother's Day has been celebrated in Belarus since 1996. This holiday is a recognition of the special mission of women associated with childbirth, their immense contribution to the preservation and strengthening of spiritual, moral, and family values. Honour and respect for women are among the fundamental principles of the Belarusian people. Only a mother can love her children so selflessly and devotedly; she imparts the first lessons of morality and upholds family ideals: a sense of honour and dignity, friendship and mutual support, respect for parents, compassion, and kinship.

The tradition of celebrating Mother's Day in Belarus originates from a religious holiday known as the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. According to tradition, in Jerusalem in 910 AD, during a service, the Theotokos appeared to the worshippers and covered them with a white veil, protecting God's children. Therefore, Mother's Day was timed to coincide with this religious holiday.

Mother's Day holds significant importance in the country's ideology, serving as a unique way to strengthen traditional family values and moral foundations.

In the Republic of Belarus, care for women, addressing issues of safe motherhood, supporting the reproductive health of the population, and increasing the birth rate are guaranteed.

by legislative regulatory legal acts: the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, the Laws of the Republic of Belarus "On Healthcare", "On the Rights of the Child", the Code "On Marriage and Family".

Currently, the State Program "People's Health and Demographic Security of the Republic of Belarus" is being implemented. The program's objectives include increasing the birth rate and strengthening socio-economic support for families in connection with the birth and upbringing of children, creating conditions for reducing social orphanhood, developing family placement forms, raising orphans and children left without parental care, reviving and promoting family values and traditions, improving the reproductive health of the population, and protecting motherhood and childhood.

The state has recognized the significance of the contribution of Belarusian women to many spheres of society's life. Many modern women are employed in various sectors of the country's economy, participate in the country's governance as deputies of local Councils of Deputies, and deputies of the chambers of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus. The main recognition of the significance of motherhood is the establishment in Belarus of the Order of Mother, which has been awarded to over 5.2 thousand women who have given birth to and raised five or more children. A number of measures are being taken in Belarus to improve the protection of motherhood and childhood, and women's reproductive health: protection of pregnant women's health, improvement of pediatric care, pre-marital counseling for prospective parents; creation of a gynecological service for children and adolescents; information and educational activities.work on forming a healthy lifestyle.

The resilience of the nation, society, and state determines the position of the family, its level of well-being, and stability. The peculiarities of socio-economic transformations of recent decades have positively influenced the standard of living of the population. Large-scale social programs are being implemented, such as providing financial assistance from the state to large and young families for housing construction, developing a system for free provision of food for children in the first two years of life, and providing targeted social assistance.

Every child born must be wanted, as the family is of paramount importance in a person's formation, development, and upbringing.

A steady trend of decline in all child mortality indicators has been observed in the Republic of Belarus. With the help of the latest technologies, newborns weighing from 500 to 1000 grams are being cared for in the republic's perinatal centers. Currently, a comprehensive set of measures to improve the reproductive health of women and men, and to organize specialized care for families with procreation problems, has been fully implemented. The use of complex and unique technologies in obstetrics and gynecology allows women with diseases that complicate

pregnancy and childbirth, becoming a mother. An increasing number of children are born as a result of infertility treatment using assisted reproductive technologies. Measures aimed at strengthening maternal and child health and ensuring safe motherhood are reflected in the National Strategy for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development until 2025. Special attention                is currently paid to the problem of social orphanhood. In recent years, the situation has significantly improved. In particular, the number of children in socially dangerous situations has decreased. The state has compelled negligent parents to work and pay for the maintenance of their children. The state guarantees that the protection of maternal and child health and the strengthening of family values will remain the main objectives of our country's policy.

The observance and expansion of family policy principles by all institutions of society is a prerequisite for the stability of the state.