Activity of Office of Ombudsperson of Equal Opportunities for Women and Men
Aims and objectives
The Office of Equal Opportunities Ombudsman (functioning since 1999), an independent state institution accountable to Parliament, is a key institution within the equal opportunities and gender equality machinery. It takes overall responsibility for the supervision and implementation of the Law on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men (1998) and Law of Equal Treatment (2005) in Lithuania. The Office investigates individual complaints on the grounds of gender, age, racial or ethnic origin, religion and beliefs, disability, sexual orientation, language, social status; submits recommendations and proposals to Parliament and government institutions on gender equality policy priorities, including recommendations on amendments to relevant legislation. The Office is also very active in working with the public and non-govermental sectors in Lithuania and abroad; and participates in national and international projects.
Creator/owner/responsible institution
Name: Office of Ombudsperson of Equal Opportunities for Women and Men
Stakeholder: Equality Body
Area of intervention: Men and gender equality
Organisation Country: Lithuania
Organisation Zip Code: 9312
Organisation Phone: 370 261 2787
Contact person:
-
Name: Aušrinė Burneikienė
Contents/activities/services
Activities
As well as investigating individual complaints, the Office has participated in a number of specific projects:
- Equality for Local Development: Gender Mainstraming in Municipalities (2006-2007).
- Gender Mainstreaming: From Concept to Action (2007-2008).
- Closer Look at Multiple Discrimination (2008-2009).
- Implementation of Gender Equality and Diversity Planning in the Workplace (2008-2009). The Office has provided legal training for NGOs, has organised training seminars on multiple discrimination and gender issues for regional journalists, and conducted public awareness campaigns on equal opportunities, gender mainstreaming and multiple discrimination (articles in regional press, TV advertising, radio programmes, outdoor advertising, screenings of films on human rights in regional cities).
- The most relevant activities on the involvement of men in gender equality were two EU-funded projects carried out by the Office.
- Modern Men in Enlarged Europe: Developing Innovative Gender Equality Strategies (2004-05)
- Modern Men in Enlarged Europe II: Work-Life Balance (2005-06). The aim of these two projects was to encourage men to take a more active part in family life, to make more active use of the option to take child-care leave and to go into professions stereotypically considered female.
Conferences
Conference "Gender Equality: Current Situation and Future Prospectives," 2010.
Materials
- Šileika, A. (2009). Lygybės statistikos pagrindai. Nacionalinis lygybės statistikos rengimo veiksmų planas (Foundations of Equality Statistics. A Plan for the Preparation of National Equality Statistics). Vilnius: Office of Ombudsperson of Equal Opportunities for Women and Men. Internet access: http://www.lygybe.lt/assets/Lygybes_statistika_maketas.pdf
- Mackevičiūtė, I. (2007). Diskriminuoti negalima integruoti: normos, stereotipai, išankstinis nusistatymas, galimybės (To Discriminate, It is Impossible to Ingegrate?: Norms, Prejudices, Opportunities). Vilnius. Internet access: http://lygybe.lt/ci.admin/Editor/assets/brosiura.pdf
- Gečaitė, K., and Mališauskaitė, L. (2007). Trumpai apie lygias galimybes (Concise Guide to Equal Opportunities). Vilnius. Internet access: http://lygybe.lt/ci.admin/Editor/assets/brosiura_neigaliesiems.pdf