The Confederation of Lithuanian Trade Unions is organizing a picnic on May 1, Mother's Day In Vingo Park, dedicated to celebrating the International Labor Day, discussing work and caring for relatives, which mainly falls to women.
The event, which will be held in Vingios Park in Vilnius, in the grill area, next to the pedestrian bridge over Neris to Žvērynas, invites you to share stories about balancing the needs of work and family.
"We have to think about Ukrainian mothers as well. In times of war, the burden of care for women is even heavier. They are forced to run, work and take care of children and elderly relatives. And who will take care of them? The microphone is open for stories about how to take care of yourself and your loved ones, what challenges different families and people face in these troubled times," the confederation's announcement reads.
According to the trade unions, women still do a disproportionate amount of the so-called "invisible work" in the everyday household - taking care of children and grandparents, cooking, cleaning the house, washing, ironing, washing.
No one pays for this work, and because of the burden of child care and household care, women usually drop out of the labor market for a longer period of time or choose to work part-time. This undermines career opportunities and leads to lower pensions and social guarantees, according to the report.
According to the data of the Confederation of Lithuanian Trade Unions, 76 percent of women and only 24 percent of men take childcare leave in Lithuania.
According to Eurostat data, 79 percent of women said they do household chores, while only 29 percent of men did.
In Lithuania, half of female pensioners are at risk of poverty, and the gap between men's and women's pensions reaches as much as 16,7 percent.
In 2019, the wage gap between women and men in Lithuania amounted to 12,4 percent. In the European Union, this indicator reached an average of 14,1 percent, the confederation announced.
After the discussions, the entertainment part of the event will take place in Vingios Park - a brainstorming session, a children's area, and live music.
The participants of the event will be able to use outdoor grills, where they can prepare their own dishes.
