Belarus

2025

2022

2018

The highest possible score for a country is 100, and the lowest is -15. You can expand the different sections below to understand how the score was calculated for each indicator.

Indicator scores

Anti-Discrimination Legislation Applicable to Education

-5

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

Anti-LGBTQI Measures

There have been no legislative changes since 2022 that relate to education and SOGIGESC issues. Belarus continues to have no anti-discrimination laws that mention SOGIGESC.

Law No. 362-Z on the Protection of Children from Information Harmful to their Health and Development (2017) prohibits the dissemination of information that “discredits the institution of family and marriage” and has been used against LGBTQI people. In 2020, ultra conservative forces continued to lobby for an explicit ban on ‘LGBT propaganda’ for minors, but so far unsuccessfully. The Belarusian Youth Council condemned these efforts.

Policies and Action Plans

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

No anti-bullying policy or national action plan: 0/10 | Anti-bullying policy or national action plan covering one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

There are no national policies or action plans to tackle anti-LGBTQI bullying or promote LGBTQI inclusion.

Inclusive Compulsory Education Curricula

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

No evidence of compulsory national curricula inclusive of LGBTQI people: 0/10 | The compulsory national curricula includes representation of one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

SOGIGESC issues are not part of general curricula. On the contrary, Law No. 362-Z (see above) de facto prohibits the discussion of SOGIGESC topics in schools.

Belarus continues to have no mandatory sex education that is inclusive of SOGIGESC. In 2020, reports have suggested that the Ministry of Health would raise the age of consent for same-sex relations from 16 to 18.

There is no human rights curriculum in place.

The Ministry of Education is currently planning to introduce “Fundamentals of Family Life” classes to “protect” children from the influence of so-called Western values, as well as courses to promote traditional families and increase the birth rate.

Mandatory Teacher Training on LGBTQI Inclusion

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

No mention of SOGIGESC in the mandatory teacher training programme: 0/10 Mandatory teacher training program with mention of one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

There is no mandatory teacher training on LGBTQI awareness.

School Environment and Partnerships

-5

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

Hostile environment

Hostile school environment and no government partnership with civil society: -5/10 | There is no evidence of the government providing funding or working in partnership with civil society: 0/10 | The government provides funding and works in partnership with civil society to promote inclusive education for one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

The political climate has continued to be hostile towards LGBTQI people since 2018, with political leaders and the media spreading anti-LGBTQI hate with impunity. In 2019 for instance, a Ministry of Interior official equated same-sex relations with pedophilia. In the same year, ultra conservative groups held events in schools, encouraging teachers and students to tackle “LGBT propaganda” and the spread of “gender ideology”.

LGBTQI activists have stood strong in the generally hostile climate, but many have been harassed and persecuted by the authorities.

In 2020 and 2021, the government orchestrated violent crackdowns on pro-democracy protesters. Many LGBTQI activists participated and spoke out against the regime, demanding freedom for their communities. Thousands of protesters were unlawfully arrested, beaten, tortured, and many disappeared. LGBTQI activists have also faced arrest, violence, and sexual abuse.

In October 2023, the Ministry of Education banned a popular blogger from participating in school events after being accused of “LGBTQ propaganda”.

The government does not provide funding, nor does actively work in partnership with NGOs to promote LGBTQI inclusive education.

Legal Gender Recognition

/10

Legal gender recognition without self-determination

Legal gender recognition with self-determination (over 16)

Legal gender recognition with self-determination (under 16)

No gender recognition provisions: 0/10 | There are laws and provisions, but with legal/medical/psychological approval: 5/10 | There are laws for self-determination, but only for those over 16 years of age: 7,5/10 | There are laws on gender self-determination, including those under 16 years of age: 10/10

Legal gender recognition and name change procedures exist, but are conditional upon a range of abusive requirements. These include sterilisation, surgery, and other medical interventions. The Ministry of Health regulation N.163/2010 on “gender change and correction” sets out that trans people must apply to a commission for the “medical, psychological, and social rehabilitations of persons with gender identity disorder” under the Ministry of Health. LGR is not available to minors and only offers binary options.

Data Collection on Bullying and Harassment

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

There is no evidence of national or regional data collection on bullying and harassment in education environments, or SO, GIGE and SC are not specifically mentioned: 0/10 | National or regional data on bullying and harassment in education environments is collected and disaggregated for one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

The government does not collect data on LGBTQI students’ experiences.

Support Systems for LGBTQI Young People

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

There is no evidence of support systems specifically designed for LGBTQI learners: 0/10 | Direct or indirect support systems are provided by schools or local authorities, but the providers lack training in LGBTQI-related issues: 0/10 | Direct or indirect support systems are provided by schools or local authorities for one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

The government or schools do not provide direct support to LGBTQI learners.

Belarusian NGOs provide support services for the LGBTQI community, both online and in person. MakeOut publishes information on various aspects of being LGBTQI. Vstrecha offers information and psychological support. Through counseling, peer groups, and training, the Community Center supports LGBTQI youth, their families, and also psychologists in their work.

Information and Guidelines

-5

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

Anti-LGBTQI Measures

Policies prohibiting the presence of LGBTQI-related information are in place: -5/10 | Schools are not required to adopt inclusive education guidelines: 0/10 | Information or guidelines for LGBTQI inclusion adopted by schools that mention one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

No relevant guidelines are in place for teachers, staff, or LGBTQI learners and their parents. On the contrary, Law No. 362-Z (see above) prohibits the discussion of SOGIGESC topics in schools.

International Commitments

/10

Member of the European Governmental LGBTI Focal Points Network

Ratified the UNESCO Ministerial Call to Action

Neither Member in the EFPN or ratification of the UNESCO Call for Action: 0/10 | Member of the EFPN or ratification of the UNESCO Call for Action: 5/10 | Member of the EFPN and ratification of the UNESCO Call for Action: 10/10

Belarus is a States Party to seven of the nine core UN treaties, including the ICESCR and the CRC, which enshrines the right to education. Belarus is not a member of the European Governmental LGBTI Focal Points Network and has not signed the 2016 UNESCO Call for Action.

View the map scored by indicator

Grounds of discrimination

Here is the country's score for each ground of discrimination on which we based our observations for 8 of the 10 indicators presented above.

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

See the map scored by ground of discrimination

Country score evolution

2025

-10

/100

2022

-5

/100

2018

-5

/100

To enable a meaningful comparison of country progress over time, we have retroactively aligned the scoring systems used in the 2018 and 2022 Editions of IGLYO’s LGBTQI Inclusive Education Index with the updated 2025 scoring criteria. While each edition of the research has built on the previous one, reflecting evolving standards and priorities in inclusive education, minor changes to indicators and scoring weights were introduced in 2022 and 2025 to improve clarity, consistency, and comprehensiveness.
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By recalculating the earlier scores according to the 2025 framework, we have tried to ensure comparability across all three editions and provide a more accurate picture of progress, stagnation, or regression in each country’s approach to LGBTQI-inclusive education. For this reason, you might find some scores in the PDF Report & Index 2018 and 2022 differing from those on the Education website for these two years.

Good practices

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