The current president (until the vote results are officially anounced, it is still Lukashenko) got read of the possible competition in the pre-election months by fabricating cases against candidates and whatnot. The wife of one of the imprisoned candidates entered herself as a candidate and people voted for her not because they wanted her to be the next president but because they didn't want Lukashenko to remain in power.

And current protesters are both male and female, it is just harder for the pro-Lukashenko media to spin the narrative "only druggies and marginals are rioting against the lawful powers" when the local SWAT beats and detains women, girls and grandmas.