Unpaid care work: whose responsibility is it?

Funded by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania

Unpaid care work: whose responsibility is it?

2025

https://lmlo.lt/kieno-pareiga/

The aim of the project. To seek changes in social practices, to raise awareness among the Lithuanian population about the importance of unpaid care work (UCW) for the sustainability of society, the unequal burden of this duty on women and men, and the related negative consequences for women’s economic independence.

Project coordinator – Lithuanian Women’s Lobby

Project partners:

• Center for Equality Advancement
• European Innovation Centre
• Klaipeda Centre for Social and Psychological Assistance
• Ribologija
• Social Innovation Fund
• Women’s Issues Information Centre.

Project results:

I. Raising public awareness on the importance of unpaid care work and its links to women’s vulnerability in the labour market:

• Continuous communication on social networks on the causes and consequences of unpaid care work, the importance of unpaid care work and women’s economic empowerment
• A social information campaign, including messages on social networks, information event for young people on ‘Battle of the minds on gender stereotypes affecting the gap between women and men in unpaid care work’, an open lesson for young people on the importance of the economic independence of women and girls
• 8 podcasts on ‘#WHOSE DUTY?’ on the importance of unpaid care work and its links to women’s vulnerability in the labour market
• national and regional radio programmes on the importance of unpaid care work and the consequences of unequal sharing between women and men for women’s economic well-being and gender equality
• the animated film ‘Whose responsibility?’
• articles in the local newspapers

II. Two analytical activities:

• An opinion poll on “Public attitudes towards women’s unpaid care work in the home” to find out to what extent the public perceives unpaid care work as an important part of the economy and social well-being, public attitudes towards women’s unpaid care work.
• The study ‘Financial (In) dependence of Women and Men in Lithuania’ to find out the differences in financial independence between women and men in Lithuania.
• Reports on the two analytical activities carried out were prepared with conclusions and recommendations.

III. In the framework of the educational measures:

• Three thematic discussions on women’s unpaid home care work held to further analyse the results of the project:
  • Changing public attitudes towards women’s unpaid home care work
  • Women’s and men’s financial (non)dependence in Lithuania
  • Reducing women’s unpaid home care work
• A conference on ‘Unpaid care work: Whose responsibility?’, aimed at improving competences in the field of women’s additional unpaid care work at home

IV. Activities for the advocacy to promote the solution of the unpaid care workload disproportionately borne by women, thus contributing to women’s economic independence and the advancement of gender equality:

• Developing and proposing measures to reduce the burden of women’s unpaid care work.
• Providing recommendations to the institutions and bodies concerned to increase the inclusion of women in the labour market:

1. to policy makers on improving women’s rights by implying NPD in the labour market (identification of the problem);
2. to the Strategic Decision Support Group of the SADM on the renewal of social policy and the development of the infrastructure of services and integrated strategies, (possible algorithm of actions), focusing on the standards of welfare states;
3. trade unions and the Council of NGOs (raising awareness of the value of the NMW for women’s economic independence);
4. social organisations (on educating the public, raising awareness and breaking down myths and changing attitudes);
5. employers (on the better valuation of home-based care and its inclusion in the labour market, or suggesting that banks offer financing programmes for women’s businesses).

Thus, all the activities aim to educate the public on the subject of women’s unpaid additional care work at home, its causes and consequences, and to promote women’s economic independence.

Agreement No: 1- MVLGP08659/2025

Funding amount: 117120 EUR