1. The improvement of women‘s economic status and their active participation in
decision making is essential for the promotion of democratization of society and
mobilisation of full potential of human resources. Therefore equal access of women
and men to employment and to the leadership positions in economy is one of the
major topics of the political and social agenda of UN and EU. Although Lithuania, as
well as the other Central and Eastern European countries, EU members since 2004,
has a long-time tradition of women‘s involvement in paid work, their equitable role
in the labour market as well as in the other domains of public life still remains a
challenge.
2. The report presents a comparative analysis of the situation of Lithuanian women
in economic decision-making processes within the context of current socio-economic
and political transformations and integration into EU. It aims to show the main
patterns of female and male employment and to reveal the key advances and
persisting barriers to gender equality.
3. The evidence shows that the role of Lithuanian women in economy is similar to
that in many post–transition countries (EU members since 2004) in terms of labour
market participation rates and trends as well as gender distribution patterns and
occupational segregation. During the Soviet years Lithuania was distinguished by
high economic activity of women: since the 1970s they comprised more than a half of
those occupied in the national economy, the employment rate of women was very
close to that of men and exceeded 80 per cent. Over fifty years of soviet regime
women made good use of the educational opportunities provided: they constituted the
majority (around 55-60 per cent) of higher school and university students1.
4. However, women were exclude d from decision-making processes in economy
and political power:
· On the basis of special quota system women were included into the
composition of the parliament (Supreme Soviet) with the aim to demonstrate
gender equality. Women – members of the deputy corpus were most highly
represented among industrial workers and collective farmers while the most
experienced professionals were not even admitted to the CPSU membership.
There were no females among the leading Party officials and very few – in the
Governmental elite.