1. Nordic Network for empowerment of immigrant
women without prior education experience
Feedback on questionnaire results
in Lithuania

2. Women migrants in Lithuania
 “Women migrants in Lithuania - it is a very interesting topic. It
would be very interesting to know how women of different
nationalities, different ages, living in Lithuania, manage to adapt
to our culture, a new social environment, how they look at locals,
the Lithuanian men, social policy, education, science, culture. If
their family life happy, or if mixed-ethnicity children feel well in
Lithuania, whether they are able to adapt painlessly two
languages, two cultures, and two outlooks.
There are two options of answers to these questions: in
Lithuania women migrants are happy, free, educated, occupy a
significant position in a society. They re-discover themselves, re-
create their own identity. Or they are going through
psychological trauma, suffering, because they had to leave their
native country, face social, cultural adaptation difficulties. They
can be nervous or apathetic, or indifferent to the ethnic
community activities. These contrasting modes of migrant
women are described by researchers.

3. Women migrants in Lithuania
 Women migrants living in a new country should not be confined to
marital happiness, successful career, or to family problems and
public failures. In order for women migrants to learn to protect their
personal coherent inner life, their family, and children from social
problems they should be themselves, to know what human rights and
fundamental freedom, equal opportunities policy is, what are the laws
of the country to ensure that they and their children are safe in the
new society. Participation of women migrants in the activities of the
ethnic communities is not only the preservation of their traditional
lifestyles and self expression, but also personality formation,
education opportunities”.
M.A.Pavilionienė, Member of Parliament of Lithuania and President of Business
Women Organization of Lithuanian Ethic Groups

4. Some general statistics about the
migration situation in LT
 Country of origin

5. Women migrants
Women immigrants by age group, 2009
13%
2%
3%
11%
22%16%
9%
6%
5%
4%
3% 5% 1%
0-14
15-17
18-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-79
80+

6. Women migrants by country of birth
Women immigrants by country of birth, 2009
3%2%
13%
5%
4%
26%
1%
32%
11%
3%
0%
Ireland
Spain
UK
Latvia
Poland
Belarus
Moldova
Russian Federation
Ukraine
Kazakhstan
Turkey

7. Women migrants by marital status
Women immigrants by marital status, 2009
33%
50%
14%
3%
Single (never married)
Married
Divorced
Widowed

8. Asylum seekers in 2009

9. Organizations contacted
 Business Women Organization of Lithuanian
Ethnic Groups
 The House of National Communities
 Labor Exchange
 International Migration Organization Vilnius Office

10. Questionnaire results
 Nationalities:
Belorussians
Turks
Hungarian
Uzbekian
Romanian

11. Age
 Turks: age range from 22 to 33
 Byelorussians: age range from 39 to 60
 Hungarians: age range from 26 to 50
 Romanians: age range from 30 to 60
 Uzbeks: age range from 50 to 63

12. Marital status
13%
27%
60%
married
divorced
single

13. Years living in the host country
 4 years -Turks
 13 -23 years -Byelorussians, Romanians and Uzbeks,
Hungarians
 6 months - Hungarians

17. Language levels (basic, intermediate, advanced -
spoken, written, comprehensive
 Lithuanian language level
Turks: basic words
Byelorussians:
basic written, basic/intermediate spoken,
advanced comprehensive
Romanians:
advanced written, spoken, comprehensive
Hungarians:
a) basic written, spoken, comprehensive
b) advanced written, spoken/comprehensive

18. Work experience

20. Education
 What skills do you have ? How many years?
-
 Do you feel a need for further education? If not, may
we ask why not?
Yes - 60%
No- 30% (I haven’t got enough money; have no time,
too old to study)
 If you don’t wish to study, what would you like to do
instead?
33%- we wish to study

21. Work
 If however, you do wish to work , but are not currently,
what is stopping you?
13%- I wish to work but I have no experience and I
don’t know the language
7%- I can’t find a job
 If you do not wish to work, what would you like to do
instead?
20% - I would help my children
13% - I would learn languages

22. Networks
 Do you have social networks within your own
community?
100%- yes
 Do you have social networks within multi immigrant
communities involving other communities than your
own?
50% -yes
 Do you have social networks within the Lithuanian
community?
80 % - yes

23.  Do you know how to find information about further
education and classes?
60% - yes
 Do you know where to turn to get a job and whom to
contact?
55%- yes
 What in your opinion would help you to get further
education and/or to get a job
- Embassy of my country
- my community

24.  Which authority is responsible for immigrants arriving in
the host country?
25 % - I don’t know
50%- Migration department
 Which authority is responsible for refugees arriving in the
host country?
25%- I don’t know
35 %- Foreigners registration centre

25.  What are the existing processes/laws for integration of
immigrants?
25% - I don’t know
 Which authority is responsible for employment when
immigrants arrive in the host country?
25%- I don’t know

26. Thank you