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Enlargement, Gender and Governance (EGG)

EU Framework 5, Project No: HPSE-CT-2002-00115

Work Package 3 (Executive Summary): Latvia

By Ausma Cimdina, University of Latvia

Throughout the Communist regime and even the early 1980s, Latvian women enjoyed full de jure legal equality in education, work (including equal pay for equal work) and the family. The employment rate for women of active age was almost the same as that for men: 86% and 88% respectively (1989). Moreover, women were represented in all professions (including technical ones), occupied some leadership positions, and enjoyed economic independence. However, the rather high percentage of women in official structures (1/3 of the Supreme Soviet and approximately 1/2 in local Soviets) – albeit institutions of general political powerlessness – did not guarantee women real power and respect. A low standard of living and the destruction of individuality under the totalitarian regime led to the asexualization of behavioural norms, overburdening women with the necessity of combining full-time paid employment with housekeeping, child care, and general care for the family. All these factors combined to create fertile ground for the idealization of the patriarchal family structure.

The Popular Front was established in 1988, with women active and engaged at all levels of its management, some of the most popular organiser later became deputies, ministers, diplomats etc. Today public opinion holds that women in Latvia are not discriminated against because they enjoy full legal equality, and there is no real ground for a women’s movement. It is true that Latvian women hold the posts of president, the speaker of Parliament (Saeima), four ministries (foreign affairs, welfare, culture, public health), and candidate for EU commissioner. However, the problems left over from the Pre-1989 are far from solved and are actually being compounded by the recent negative stereotypes of women in the mass media as housewives, prostitutes, permanent consumers of cosmetics, fashion, household equipment etc., but not as potential equals in profession, business and social and political life. In reality, a certain asymmetry and gender inequality persists that creates a real mission for the Latvian women’s movement. Popular stereotypes about gender roles and the family structure should be challenged through gender mainstreaming, by public administration, and through the systems of education and mass media.

In the 1990s, the establishment of various women’s groups, clubs and NGOs testifies to an increase in women’s civic and political participation and representation in Latvia. NGOs, in particular, have led the campaign for gender equality. The EU had an important and notable influence on local campaigns for gender equality, both at state level and in encouraging the establishment of NGOs. The Resource Centre for Women “Marta” and the Coalition for Gender Equality in Latvia (linking 22 organizations) have leading roles in the consolidation of the women’s movemet for equal rights in Latvia. Significantly, on 12 October 2003 the European Women’s Lobby voted to accept the women’s network of Latvia as a full members of EWL.

Main collaboration partners and supporters of women’s NGO’s in Latvia:

  • Nordic Council of Ministers Information Office in Riga;
  • United Nations Development Programme;
  • UNFPA project “Regional Capacity Building and Co-ordination for Gender Equality in Reproductive Health;
  • Embassy of the United States of America;
  • Ministry of Welfare, Social Policy Development Department;
  • The Latvian Center for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies.

Bench-mark position for future actions:

  • Women’s social and political activity should increase, including more women running for office and defending their interests through various democratic means as well as through the mass media;
  • Cooperation with international and national women’s organizations should be expanded so Latvia may benefit from other countries’ experience in recognizing and exercising women’s rights and raising women’s consciousness, and so other nations may learn about the current situation in Latvia.