Written by leading women scholars, this first and only book published about Lithuanian women details the historical, social, economic, and political issues affecting women during the transition from communism to democracy.
Women in Transition addresses the historical, social, economic and political dynamics affecting the lives of women during Lithuania's transition from communism to democracy. This book demonstrates that democracy has not diminished gender discrimination. In fact, the recent political and economic changes threaten to widen the gender gap through a decline in political representation, an increase in women's unemployment and underemployment, and the threat of restrictive reproductive policies. Furthermore, low birth rates coupled with a sharp rise in nationalism has led to propaganda encouraging women to return to home and family. Women in Transition details how women are responding to these changes.
The first and only book published about Lithuanian women by Lithuanian women, this unique volume fills a gap in knowledge of the country's society and the role of its women. An important contribution to the growing body of literature on post-communism, the book is written by many of the leading women scholars in Lithuania including the head of the Women's Studies program and the Chair of the Sociology Department at Vilnius University; the Counsellor to the Parliament on Women's Issues; the Dean of Kaunas University; and the Chairperson of the Women's Party of Lithuania. Suzanne LaFont, former Visiting Professor at Kaunas University, has edited the book and provided an introduction.
"The value of this book is threefold: (1) it addresses gender relations in Lithuania, a subject matter that has received little attention in scholarly inquiries; (2) it represents original voices of women from Lithuania, rather than the more common Westernized interpretation of Central and Eastern European transition; and (3) it provides not only descriptive materials but also includes several recent empirical studies that otherwise would not be quickly available to a larger audience." -- Joanna Regulska, Rutgers University
Suzanne LaFont is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Continuing Education at New York University and author of The Emergence of an Afro-Caribbean Legal Tradition in Jamaica.
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Table of Contents
Editor's Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Suzanne LaFont
1. A Historical Perspective on the Role of Women
Viktorija Baršauskiene and Giedre Rymeikyte
2. Women in History and Literature
Dalia Vyšniauskiene
3. Life Histories: Three Generations of Lithuanian Women
Agne Pankuniene
4. Women in the Domestic Domain
Giedre Purvaneckiene
5. Lithuanian Women and Education: Discrimination and Career Choices
Palmira Juceviciene
6. Women and the Economy
Vida Kanopiene
7. The Church, Nationalism, and the Reproductive Rights of Women
Dalia Gineitiene
8. Why and How the Party of Women Was Formed in Lithuania
Dalia Teišerskyte
9. Moving Forward: Women's Studies and Organizations
Marija Aušrine Pavilioniene
10. Modem Women in Lithuania
Renata Guobuzaite
11. Marija Gimbutas: Tribute to a Lithuanian Legend
Joan Marler
Notes on Contributors
Index
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