Lithuania’s birth rate debate ignores gender equality, rights advocate warns

Discussions on boosting Lithuania’s declining birth rate too often overlook the need for gender equality, the head of the country’s Human Rights Centre has warned, as policymakers focus on financial incentives rather than addressing unequal domestic burdens.

Speaking on the ELTA Kampas programme, Jūratė Juškaitė argued that cash benefits alone—such as tax breaks or increased child allowances—will not resolve the core issue deterring women from having larger families. “The heart of the problem lies elsewhere,” she said.

Juškaitė cited persistent disparities in unpaid care work, with 60% of Lithuanian women handling daily household tasks compared to just 33% of men. “Many mothers in Vilnius, when asked about having a second or third child, say: ‘I’m already so overwhelmed by housework that another child would mean I couldn’t even leave the house,’” she noted.

Lithuania ranked 14th in the EU’s 2023 Gender Equality Index with a score of 60.9 out of 100, lagging far behind in the “care” domain—where responsibilities for childcare and domestic labour remain heavily skewed. Juškaitė pointed to Nordic countries, where stronger work–life balance policies and gender equality correlate with higher birth rates.

“We need to change cultural norms,” she urged, calling for normalised paternal leave and societal acceptance of fathers as equal caregivers. “When a man takes time off to care for his child, no one should ask, ‘What happened to the mother?’”

Her comments follow the government’s recent declaration of 2027–2028 as the “Years of the Family,” part of a broader push to tackle demographic decline. Eight ministries have until autumn to submit proposals, including expanded housing support for young families and reforms to parental leave policies.