State of the Nation in Lithuania

Hi, everyone!  I've really enjoyed reading your writings about your placements.  Here is a little more about mine...

Yesterday, President Dalia Grybauskaite delivered the annual State of the Nation address.  I found it interesting that gender was not explicitly mentioned at any point during the speech.  The speech mostly touched on corruption, on the legislative process, on the budget, and on nuclear energy.  There was a short section on civil society: the President spoke of the need for an educational system that will be “sensitive to the needs and abilities of every individual.”  She also discussed a new bill on cultural policy, stating that protecting and maintaining Lithuanian cultural identity is crucial to the nation’s success.  “Let us build a strong civil society that … has real values and a strong spirit to protect them,” she said. “Let us create a homeland that nobody wants to leave.”  This last sentence was a reference to the enormous emigration that has taken place since the collapse of the USSR and especially since Lithuania joined the EU. 

I can see why, in a call for unity, the President would not discuss issues such as gender equality or the status of minorities.  Doing so would expose Lithuania’s social divisions, and her message was a clear one: Lithuania must be united in order to be strong.

This makes sense on a political level, but I think it is an unfortunate omission.  The truth is that these issues – from corruption to employment to emigration – affect women differently than they affect men.  For example, emigration: there are a quarter-million more women than men in Lithuania, because so many men have emigrated while women stay behind.  This has had a profound effect on women, their ability to find partners and start families, and on Lithuanian culture as a whole. 

If you're interested in reading the full text (in English), it can be found here: http://www.president.lt/en/activities/state_of_the_nation_address/2011.html