Lithuania among least sexist in EU

VILNIUS - Despite the European Union requirement that wages for the same work by women and men have to be equal, in practice, a wage gap between genders exists in all the EU countries, reports ELTA. Women’s wages are on average 16 percent lower.

The EU ministers discussed such tendencies, gender equality and the situation of women in the 5th Congress of Women in Warsaw on June 14. Minister of Social Security and Labor Algimanta Pabedinskiene noted that the issue of men’s and women’s rights in the labor market will be raised during Lithuania’s Presidency of the EU Council, which starts July 1.

However, the gap between men’s and women’s income in Lithuania is not as big as in other countries. The income difference in Lithuania stands at 11.9 percent, lower than the EU average. Employment rates are almost equal for both genders, with male unemployment slightly higher. In 2012, male unemployment stood at 15.1 percent, while female was at 11.5 percent.