Lithuania

Lithuania's post-World War I independence ended with annexation by the Soviet Union in 1940. Fifty years later, in 1990, Lithuania reclaimed its independence, even before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. By 2004, Lithuania had become a member of both the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Ethnic Lithuanians are the dominant group in the country, comprise 83.4 percent of the population, but there also are small groups of Polish (6.7 percent) and Russians (6.3 percent). Almost 80 percent of Lithuanians are Roman Catholic. By 2008, 67 percent of Lithuanians lived in urban areas.

Women's rights groups have been active since the late 19th century, and women won the right to vote in 1920. However, activism was outlawed under Communism. Since the early 1990s, women's rights groups have reasserted themselves. According to the constitution and the law, females have equal rights of property, inheritance and opportunity. In reality, women lag behind men in almost every field. Domestic violence and human trafficking are of major concern.

After a period of prosperity, the recent global economic downturn adversely impacted Lithuania with unemployment rising from 4.8 percent in 2008 to 15 percent in 2009. At the same time, per capita income dropped from $18,000 to $15,000. Four percent of the population began living in poverty. Women and children are disproportionately affected by these changes. In business, women face a glass ceiling that prevents advancement into professional and managerial positions; and according to reports issued in 2008, the wage gap between men and women is 79 percent. In 1997, there were two female ministers in the 17-member cabinet. By 2008, 26 women sat in the 141-seat Parliament, but the number of women in the cabinet had declined to only one. Overall, 5 percent of mayors, 21 percent of municipal council members, and 5 percent of local administration directors were female.