12th December 2024
The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has published its latest Gender Equality Index. It measures equality between women and men in European Union countries every year. The overall European Gender Equality Index is almost unchanged over the year at 71 out of a possible 100 points. Last year it was 70.2.
How does Lithuania score?
Lithuania’s score has risen by over 1.7 points this year, with a score of 65.8 out of 100, ranking it 16th among all EU countries. Last year, we scored 64.1, ranking 17th. Despite moving up one notch, Lithuania is still behind the EU average.
Stagnation on the road to gender equality is evident across Europe, so even with such a small increase in scores, Lithuania is among the three countries with the biggest increases – Malta’s score rose by 2.3 points and the Czech Republic’s by 2 points.
The score is based on Lithuania’s gender equality indicators in six areas: work, money, knowledge, time, power and health.
Comparing the scores in the different areas shows that Lithuania performs best in the area of work, where it ranks 15th with 76.2 points. This is the only area where we are slightly ahead of the EU average (74.2). It is worth noting that Lithuania has a very high participation rate for both men and women in this area (92.8), but scores much lower on occupational segregation and quality of working conditions (62.5).
“The data show that while the balance between female and male labour market participation is good, conditions vary considerably. Indicators measuring equality at work show that there are still ‘male’ and ‘female’ professions, and that workplaces do not give women and men the same flexibility to take a couple of hours away from work to take care of their families,” says Miglė Kolinytė, Senior Adviser at the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson in Lithuania.
Lithuania’s worst score, as last year, is in the area of money. The score experienced a slight decrease over the year, falling from 71.2 to 70.9, which resulted in a drop in ranking from 24th to 25th place. This is due to the gender pay gap and higher risk of poverty faced by women.
“According to data from Sodra*, the gender pay gap has remained fairly constant at around 13% for the last couple of years. However, it varies depending on people’s age. For example, the wage gap becomes one of the largest among individuals aged 31 to 40. This may be linked to family formation. During this period, women are more likely to take on a disproportionate share of child-rearing and household responsibilities, often resulting in career interruptions or reduced working hours, which can significantly impact their earnings”, says M. Kolinytė.
Education Gender Gap: Men Falling Behind
Education is the only area measured by the Gender Equality Index where men in Lithuania fare worse than women. Lithuania is one of four countries with the largest gap between men and women attaining a high level of education.
According to M. Kolinytė, this gender gap may be linked to occupational segregation and differing professional requirements: “The data aligns with the frequently cited statistic on occupational segregation. In male-dominated fields, it is more common to secure a job without a university degree. Examples include construction, technical trades, programming, and other information technology roles, where practical skills are highly valued. In contrast, female-dominated sectors are more likely to demand formal qualifications, even for roles that are less well-paid. For instance, nursing, teaching, and social work often require a diploma. This dynamic may contribute to fewer men pursuing further education after school.”
Will the “Women on Boards” directive improve performance?
The European Gender Equality Index also measures power – the number of women and men in political power and the gender balance on the boards of major companies and other important organisations. In the area of power, Lithuania scores 55.5 this year, ranking 16th among European countries. However, the assessment was carried out before the 2024 Parliament elections.
The gender balance in the managing bodies of large companies is expected to be boosted by the changes to the law that came into force in Lithuania in December, implementing the so-called “Women on Boards” Directive. The aim is to ensure that the under-represented gender occupies at least one third of the seats in the management and supervisory bodies of large companies (CEO, board members, supervisory board members). The Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson has been appointed to monitor, control and educate on this issue.
“This Directive brings an obligation for companies to provide information on how they are working to achieve gender balance in their governing bodies. Large companies in Lithuania will have until June 2025 to submit their first reports to the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson. In short, the selection process for members of company boards and supervisory boards must be transparent, with clear, neutral criteria that ensure that candidates’ qualifications, knowledge and skills are assessed equally. If there is an overlap in the competences of the candidates, preference should be given to the under-represented gender. Our experts, of course, are open to advice and assistance on gender equality issues. Detailed information for companies is already available on our website”, says M. Kolinytė.
In the long term, she said, the Gender Equality Index’s score in the area of power could improve both in Lithuania and in other countries, as the Directive is binding for all EU countries.
Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands are at the top of the Gender Equality Index, while Greece, Hungary and Romania are at the bottom this year.
*A government institution responsible for managing social insurance in the country.