Since 2011, gender pay gap in Lithuania has been increasing consistently. One of the main reasons for that is the imbalance of time devoted to childcare between both parents. Once the decision to start a family is made, gender norms and the design of childcare policies pressure women into making career breaks, which have a negative impact on women’s economic independence and their capacity to participate in social life. All of this has long-term consequences for a woman’s career and her general well-being, but shared responsibilities of raising a child could benefit both the families and the state. A shared parental leave would also create the opportunity for the father to get involved in his child’s life at an early stage, therefore the emotional connection between the father and the child would be much stronger.

Project objectives:

1)   to review existing legislation on work-life balance;

2)   to suggest the course of actions for improvements in national policies;

3)   to advocate for necessary legal amendments;

4)   to develop and apply mechanisms for work-life balance at the company level;

5)   to create favorable social environment and working culture for better work-life balance;

6)   to promote the idea of a shared parental leave;

7)   to redefine the definition of modern masculinity and fatherhood;

8)   to help the mothers overcome maternal guilt and highlight the benefits of an early involvement by the fathers;

9)   to raise public awareness/discussions and promote behavioral changes for a better work-life reconciliation.

These objectives will be achieved by:

• performing a revision of the existing legislation on work-life balance;
• determining the barriers employers themselves face when initiating work-life balance measures and (or) policies in their organizations;
• carrying out a representative survey on public knowledge and attitudes towards work-life balance;
• organizing advocacy meetings with Parliament members and policymakers;
• choosing a pilot company for the action and setting and implementing the action plan for promoting work-life balance in the chosen pilot company;
• running a motivational campaign for employees of the pilot company;
• providing recommendations on work-life balance implementation in other companies;
• organizing an international conference;
• launching a website for the employers and the employees, containing essential information on reconciliation between work and private life;
• carrying out national awareness raising campaigns.