We are acquainted with the Governmental reports. Both of them were discussed in the
Commission on Equal Opportunities for women and men with participation of representatives
of women’s organisations and the office of Equal Opportunities for women and men as well as
placed on the governmental web-site accessible to everybody. During the last 8 years after the
previous review, we can say that many different efforts (governmental, non-governmental and
in cooperation of both parties, social partners (employers and trade unions) have been made
and experts have been involved in realization of gender equality de facto as well as in
implementing the Recommendations, which were developed by CEDAW Committee.
Lithuania has joined the EU and this also had an influence on improvement of gender equality
situation in Lithuania. Lithuanian efforts to deal with gender equality issues and gender
mainstreaming were highly evaluated on the European (EU) level. The European Union
Council made a decision to establish a European Gender Equality Institute in Lithuania. This
decision was inspired by active efforts of all gender equality actors: women’s organisations,
gender equality experts, governmental institutions, parliamentarians. The institute will start its
work in 2008.
But we still have a number of problems that need solutions or more careful attention from the
government. The most important areas are: situation of women in rural areas; the lack of the
education on reproduction health, especially in rural areas; the low level of educational
facilities on the general women’s human rights, including the lack of information on the free
legal consultation; persisting gender stereotypes in preschool-education, education and
science; unhealthy living conditions of women in rural areas, especially elderly women,
widows, single women, who cannot afford to repair their houses for many years; hidden
unemployment in rural areas; lack of social guarantees for the wives of the self-employed
farmers; lack of the flexible social support system (including food provision, provision of the
necessary hygienic towels) for the socially-disadvantaged women; low level of women
involvement into political life both at national and local levels; low level of involvement of
local municipalities in issues on women’ human rights and gender equality; insufficient
childcare services; deep vertical and horizontal segregation of the labour market; gender pay
gap, which resulted in different economic situation of women and men; stereotype of women’
position in the labour market as of ‘low quality and risk group’; necessity of changing the
employers’ attitude towards women in the labour market and promoting family-friendly
enterprises; insufficient women’ NGOs financial support.