Lithuania’s equal opportunities ombudswoman plans greater focus on regional equality

Lithuania’s equal opportunities and ombudswoman **Birutė Sabatauskaitė**, who is seeking reappointment, has pledged to prioritise regional engagement to ensure fair opportunities for all resident groups, **LRT** reports.

Speaking at a meeting with lawmakers from the **Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union** faction on Tuesday, Sabatauskaitė emphasised plans to expand outreach across municipalities. “We will continue efforts to visit various municipalities, meet with different resident groups, and assist local governments in strategising to guarantee equal opportunities,” she said.

She highlighted the parliament’s 2021 ban on discrimination based on family status as a key achievement of her current term, alongside regulations mandating accessibility for people with disabilities in goods, services, education, and other sectors.

Sabatauskaitė outlined a preventive approach for her potential next five-year term, focusing on tailored engagement with diverse groups. “Our work will concentrate on different population segments each year—meeting with them, identifying their needs in detail, and conducting in-depth reviews,” she explained.

During the discussion, **Ligita Girskienė**, deputy chair of the Farmers and Greens, claimed Sabatauskaitė’s work had narrowly focused on reducing family-status discrimination, questioning what other meaningful actions or studies she had undertaken. In response, Sabatauskaitė cited multiple reviews and studies, including assessments of employment challenges for older adults and digital exclusion in subsequent years.

**Bronis Ropė**, another faction member, asked whether anti-discrimination measures—such as protecting LGBTQI rights or permitting pride parades—might themselves discriminate against others. Sabatauskaitė clarified that her office does not organise parades but upholds individual rights under a proportionality principle. “When complaints are filed and investigated, all circumstances are evaluated—such as whether someone faced degrading treatment at work,” she said.

Lawmakers also questioned Sabatauskaitė about a colleague’s remark—*“opa, opa iš Europos”* (“off with you to Europe”)—directed at a proposal for a referendum on defining family in the constitution. The comment had been made by **Jūratė Juškaitė**, director of the **Lithuanian Human Rights Centre**, in criticism of the referendum initiative. Sabatauskaitė distanced herself, stating: “Juškaitė is not my colleague. While we have personal ties, we do not coordinate our professional positions. She works for an NGO and may express views more freely than I can.”

Addressing the proposed advisory referendum on constitutional family definitions, Sabatauskaitė suggested it could conflict with Lithuania’s constitution, citing prior rulings by the **Constitutional Court**.

Appointed in 2021, Sabatauskaitė previously led the Lithuanian Human Rights Centre and holds a master’s in international law from **Mykolas Romeris University**. Her father, **Julius Sabatauskas**, is a social democrat MP and chairs the **Legal and Law Enforcement Committee**. The ombudswoman is nominated by the **speaker of the Seimas** for a five-year term, subject to parliamentary approval.