Researcher Savicka: those blaming only women for delaying pregnancy should bite their tongue

Those who claim that young women prefer leisure over starting a family should reconsider, as data shows men are more likely to delay having children, according to Dr. Aida Savicka, a senior researcher at the Lithuanian Institute of Cultural Studies.

“One of the interesting facts in Lithuanian society is that men are the ones who postpone reproductive plans or have fewer such intentions than women. So when people say that young women, with their heads held high, only want to have fun, they should bite their tongue, because having children is not the responsibility of one gender alone,” Savicka told LRT.lt.

She added that traditional values are not the solution to demographic challenges in modern society.

Savicka, along with political sociologist Rūta Žiliukaite, recently published a monograph titled Generations of Change in Lithuania: A Perspective on Shifting Values. The book analyses the value systems of different generations in Lithuania and how they have evolved over three decades of independence.

The European Values Study in Lithuania spans 27 years, with surveys conducted in 1990, 1999, 2008, and 2017. It covers attitudes toward family, work, leisure, religion, morality, politics, and other aspects of life.

Findings show a shift in attitudes toward work—from viewing it primarily as a source of income to seeing it as a means of personal growth, fulfillment, and meaning. This change is not limited to younger generations but is evident across society.

While hard work was once the most important trait to instill in children, recent data from 2017 highlights a broader range of values, with a growing emphasis on fostering creativity.

All generations place great importance on family, though definitions vary. Over time, expectations tied to marriage have grown, with people now seeking loyalty, shared domestic responsibilities, and financial stability. Younger generations, however, do not necessarily view children as an essential part of family or marriage.

Traditional values, Savicka notes, do not guarantee a willingness to have children or to have more children.