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Gender
Equality in Public Administration
Prepared by Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman,
Lithuania
Title
“Equal Opportunities of Women and Men in Public Administration”: An
In-service Training Programme of the Lithuanian Institute of Public
Administration, in collaboration with the Office of the Equal
Opportunities Ombudsman.
Introduction
In order to advance the work for gender equality, it is recognised that decision
makers must be well informed on equality issues and achievements in this area.
One of the actors that contribute to the advancement of this goal in Lithuania
is the Lithuanian Institute of Public Administration.
The Programme
The Institute offers a wide range of introductory as well as in-service
training courses, introducing public servants to the policies of the European
Union, including gender equality. Information about the legal language of the EU
and EU educational programmes is provided, introducing the attendees to the EU
activities in its capacity as an international actor and to its occupational
policies.
In particular, public officials are offered opportunities to enrich their
knowledge in the field of gender equality and to develop the skills of dealing
with day-to-day issues involving gender, such as domestic violence or sexual
harassment in the workplace. (Importantly, persons entering the positions of the
head or deputy head of a public institution are tested on their knowledge of the
Law on Equal Opportunities of the Republic of Lithuania.).
The Lithuanian Institute of Public Administration has been offering a
programme entitled “Equal Opportunities of Women and Men in Public
Administration”. The programme was developed in close co-operation with the
Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman and includes courses and lectures
providing an introduction to the main concepts in the area of equality theory
and practice. The attendees are introduced to
- the legislation and Directives concerning gender equality in the
UN and EU;
- the topics of factual inequality and the concept of “special
measures”;
- the institutional as well as legal mechanisms of the
implementation of equal rights of women and men in Lithuania,
comprising the parliamentary, governmental, nongovernmental and
local levels;
- the activities of the Office of the Ombudsman for Equal
Opportunities, including the legal situation regarding gender
equality;
- the dynamics of public opinion in connection with the structural
adjustment of Lithuanian law to European standards;
- the mechanisms for the protection of equal rights in the
EU;
- the topics related to women and men in the labour market,
and in the institutions of public administration in particular;
- issues regarding the position of men and women in politics and
working life.
The course deals with the UN Conventions concerning the eradication of all forms
of discrimination against women. Public servants benefit from the analyses of
the latest recommendations by the UN to the Government of the Republic of
Lithuania on the implementation of that convention; Lithuania’s Reports to this
effect are put under scrutiny. The participants become acquainted with the
relevant measures and programmes on the part of the Government and in particular
with the activities of the inter-ministerial Commission of Equal Opportunities.
Gender equality issues pertaining to the municipal level of governance are
separately discussed in terms of the prospects of administration improvement. In
this connection the experience of the Nordic neighbours is given a prominent
place in the course, especially regarding the practice of “equal opportunities
planning”. Day-to-day issues are approached by way of discussing such topics as
the models of the communication between a senior administrator and his/her
subjects.
Given that awareness of the civil society dimension is of utmost importance to
those in public service, the role of non-governmental organisations and the
media in the process of implementing equal opportunities for women and men is
highlighted.
Methods
In order to avoid excessive abstraction, particular examples of what constitutes
the violation of the equality principle are discussed, such as discriminatory
advertisements in the press and testimonies of injured persons regarding
discrimination on the basis of sex. As a distinct concern, the issues of
stereotypical social roles of women and men are given due attention. The
attendees are introduced to the most progressive explorations of challenges
faced by women in work and politics.
On the basis of rich statistical data at the disposal of the Department of
Statistics, the attendees are provided a comprehensive picture of the dynamic
developments in society in terms of gender equality and equal opportunities.
The main target-groups of the courses include:
- heads of the departments of state institutions and their
deputies,
- those in charge of developing and carrying out programmes of
in-service training, and
- those involved in shaping personnel policies.
Implementation
The programme “Equal Opportunities of Women and Men in Public
Administration” was launched in 2004. It was planned to deliver the course once
in every three months, providing there are sufficient numbers. 20 public
officials, mostly heads of units or their deputies, have already followed this
course of 18 academic hours during the spring.
References
www.livadis.lt/en/ (The
Lithuanian Institute of Public Administration)
www.lygybe.lrs.lt/ (The
Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman)
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