RCL approves 2026–2029 Gender Equality Plan: aiming to strengthen equal opportunities across the organization
The Research Council of Lithuania (RCL) has approved its Gender Equality Plan for 2026–2029. This plan aims to consistently strengthen the implementation of equal opportunity principles within the organization’s activities. The Gender Equality Plan includes measures designed to foster an organizational culture supportive of gender equality, ensure transparency in research project funding, and provide equal career opportunities.
Data from the 2024 She Figures report published by the European Commission indicate that Lithuania has a favorable gender equality situation in science and innovation – the country ranks third in the European Union in terms of gender balance. Within RCL, this is also reflected at the decision-making level: gender balance is ensured on the RCL Board, and in the administration, the representation of women and men in managerial positions generally corresponds to the overall staff distribution by gender. However, there is still room for improvement – all three RCL expert committees show gender imbalance, with women’s representation in the committees remaining below the 40% threshold.
Based on an analysis of data from RCL research group project funding schemes, it has been established that, despite some progress, gender imbalance still persists in certain scientific fields. It is particularly pronounced in the fields of technology and natural sciences, where women’s participation remains lower, while in the social sciences – conversely – men are underrepresented. In addition, the data analysis reveals that although the gender balance among project leaders submitting proposals is generally maintained, a gender imbalance favoring men is observed among funded projects. The findings of this analysis indicate the need to systematically and consistently monitor and evaluate competitive research funding processes from a gender equality perspective.
Through this 2026–2029 Gender Equality Plan, RCL seeks to create an inclusive, safe, and respectful organizational culture, strengthen gender balance in leadership positions, ensure equal career opportunities, and increase transparency in research and experimental development funding activities. The Gender Equality Plan also includes measures to strengthen staff competencies, prevent discrimination and harassment, monitor gender equality data, and openly communicate the progress achieved.
By implementing the 2022–2025 Gender Equality Plan, RCL has also contributed to international gender equality initiatives: it provided data for the European Commission’s She Figures report and participated in the international GENDERACTIONplus project, which analyzed gender equality and inclusiveness measures in science and innovation policy. These activities contributed to strengthening social justice, creating better working conditions, and developing a sustainable and competitive research ecosystem in Lithuania.
The 2026–2029 Gender Equality Plan can be found here.
The measures for implementing the plan can be found here.
For more information
National Contact Points (NCP) Group
Program Coordinator
Jovita Žėkaitė-Maconko
Tel: +370 647 87 365
Email: [email protected]