Lithuania / The Center for Equality Advancement

The Center for Equality Advancement is a Vilnius-based NGO that was founded in 2003. To quote their website, they state that their goals are to, “organize informational campaigns, [advocate], provide training courses and seminars, publish articles, manuals and other publications, carry out research, provide expertise on the themes of gender equality, diversity and human rights.” Their primary focus is on gender discrimination and the many ways it is present throughout Lithuania. Their listed ongoing projects include encouraging and promoting co-responsible parenting in which gender roles aren’t strictly enforced, strengthening community response to gender based violence, and building better support systems for disabled women. Many of their projects are funded in part by the Rights, Equality, and Citizenship Program of the EU, and occasionally feature partnerships with groups from other EU nations that are also working to combat gender discrimination. They have contributed to multiple studies surrounding father’s ability to go on parental leave, the perception of fathers who do so, and the impact paternal parental leave could have on a child. They’ve also spoken out about the lack of representation women have in the Lithuanian government, encouraging the Lithuanian Parliament to acknowledge this issue.

http://gap.lt/en/leidiniai/vgf/