Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Ninety-second session

Summary record of the 2185th meeting

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on Thursday, 5 February 2026, at 3 p.m.

Chair:Ms. Haidar

Contents

Consideration of reports submitted by States Parties under article 18 of the Convention (continued)

Seventh periodic report of Lithuania (continued)

The meeting was called to order at 3 p.m.

Consideration of reports submitted by States Parties under article 18 of the Convention (continued)

Seventh periodic report of Lithuania (continued) (CEDAW/C/LTU/7; CEDAW/C/LTU/Q/7; CEDAW/C/LTU/RQ/7)

At the invitation of the Chair, the delegation of Lithuania joined the meeting.

The Chair, welcoming the delegation of Lithuania to the meeting, explained that the other members of the delegation would be participating via video link. She invited the delegation of Lithuania to continue replying to the questions raised at the previous meeting (CEDAW/C/SR.2184).

Articles 7–9

A representative of Lithuania said that, in recent years, indicators had shown that the Government had made progress in a wide range of areas, including in its efforts to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities. Indicators were established for all measures provided for in strategic documents and action plans, the impact of which was assessed. Surveys were conducted to assess public attitudes to domestic violence, equal opportunities for women and men, and other matters. A network of researchers attached to the Ministry of Social Security and Labour issued recommendations that were used to shape policymaking and determine the indicators that should be used to assess the impact of policies.

A representative of Lithuania said that a survey of attitudes to inclusion in schools had been conducted as part of the Government’s efforts to implement its objectives in the area of education. In that connection, interviews had been conducted with 1,000 parents, teachers, administrative staff and other persons involved in the education sector. The survey had shown that many parents and teachers were unaware of the specific principle of inclusion applied in the area of education. The results of the survey had informed the drafting of recommendations for the measures to be taken to change attitudes to inclusion in schools. The survey would be repeated in a few years’ time to assess the impact of the measures taken.

Articles 10–14

Ms. Pia-Comella said that she wished to know whether the Government planned to update the Action Plan for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men for 2023–2025 on the basis of the results achieved and lessons learned. She wondered whether the State Party would consider introducing age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health education from primary school onwards, covering subjects such as contraception, abortion, consent, sexual orientation and gender identity.

It would be interesting to know whether the State Party would incorporate the subject of gender equality into school curricula for all stages of school education. Information on any measures being taken to train schoolteachers and university lecturers in gender equality and the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence would be welcome.

A representative of Lithuania said that the Action Plan for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men for 2023–2025 was in the process of being updated. The Life Skills Programme introduced in secondary schools in 2023 had covered the prevention of violence and the combating of stereotypes, among other matters. The Programme was currently being reviewed. Two universities offered programmes for upgrading teaching qualifications. By September 2026, 900 teachers would have completed those programmes. The number of teachers trained to teach life skills had almost doubled in recent years. The Government regularly reviewed school curricula to determine how equal opportunities and human rights should be taught to schoolchildren of all ages. Specialist councils would assess the proposals for updating school curricula submitted by stakeholders.

A representative of Lithuania said that the Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service organized a programme of lectures on how to recognize the sexual abuse of children and provide assistance to victims. Since 2017, over 1,800 employees from the education sector had participated in the programme. Over 1,000 school staff members would be trained to assist children in recognizing and reporting sexual violence.

A representative of Lithuania said that the draft of the new Action Plan for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men had been completed. The main objectives set out in the updated Plan were to ensure men’s and women’s equality in the labour market and to promote the proportional participation of men and women in decision-making and high-ranking posts. Other objectives of the Plan were to combat gender-based stereotypes and improve the distribution of unpaid care work. Furthermore, the Government was implementing two projects under the European Child Guarantee, namely to enhance the use of the barnahus model and to support children who displayed sexualized behaviour.

Ms. Pia-Comella said that she wished to know how the question of consent was addressed in schools, whether girls and boys were taught what constituted a healthy and consensual relationship and what behaviour was unacceptable or non-consensual.

A representative of Lithuania said that, under the Life Skills Programme, children in grades 5 and 6 were taught about the importance of establishing personal boundaries and mutual respect and what they should do if those boundaries were violated. Children were taught about financial, physical and sexual abuse and violence and their harmful effects and how to recognize and report sexual harassment. In grades 1 and 2, children were taught how to recognize inappropriate touching and why it was important to tell a trustworthy adult about it.

Ms. Akizuki said that she wished to know the outcome of the measures and programmes implemented to ensure that unpaid care work was more evenly distributed between men and women. She wondered how the State Party ensured that pension reforms and the harmonization of the retirement age for women and men would adequately address gender disparities arising from gaps in employment histories related to caregiving responsibilities. She would like to know what data the State Party collected on access to early childhood education and the availability of care for children under 2 years of age and how it assessed the impact of the availability of childcare on women’s employment, particularly in rural areas.

She would be interested to know how the State Party assessed the effectiveness of labour inspections and other measures taken to address the structural causes of the gender pay gap, which included occupational segregation and the undervaluation of women‑dominated sectors. She would welcome information on any measures being taken to ensure that objective factors cited to justify pay differences did not conceal indirect discrimination against women, particularly in performance evaluation and wage-setting systems. It would be useful to know how the State Party addressed the impact of the gender pay gap on women facing intersecting forms of discrimination, including Roma women, rural women, women with disabilities and single mothers.

She wondered what time-bound targets and indicators had been established to reduce horizontal and vertical occupational segregation and to increase women’s representation in management and leadership positions. She would like to know how the State Party evaluated the long-term outcomes of labour market integration programmes for disadvantaged women, including Roma women, migrant women, older women and women with disabilities. What was being done to ensure that equal opportunities plans were effectively monitored and enforced in the public and private sectors?

A representative of Lithuania said that the Government acknowledged that the burden of caring for family members mostly fell on women. In order to address that situation, a significant amount of resources were allocated to the social services system. In 2024, the number of older persons who received support had risen to over 24,000, while the number of persons with a serious disability who received long-term care had increased from 10,457 in 2020 to 16,854 in 2025.

An increasing number of children’s day-care centres were in operation. The number of children attending such centres had increased from 11,145 in 2021 to 14,357 in 2025, enabling more women to undertake paid employment. Under legislation adopted in January 2024, temporary assistance was currently being granted to over 580 persons who provided long-term support to a family member.

A representative of Lithuania said that, under the Labour Code, employees with children had the right to additional rest periods, parental leave and flexible working hours, among other benefits. Employers were required to implement measures to enable employees to fulfil their family obligations. Since 1 January 2023, mothers and fathers had been required to take two months of non-transferable parental leave before their child reached the age of 2. Regulations governing annual leave were more flexible for parents, and the staff of certain publicly funded agencies had the right to work a 32-hour week. Childcare benefits had been used by more than 16,000 men and more than 42,000 women between 2023 and 2025.

A representative of Lithuania said that, under national law, men and women had an equal right to social security benefits, including pensions. Once women reached retirement age, they could retire under the same conditions as men. The average pension for women had increased by a factor of 1.8 between 2020 and 2025 and the gender pension gap had stood at only 12.7% in 2025, which was much lower than the average among European Union member States. Pensions were subject to indexation. The harmonization of the retirement age for men and women, which would come into force later in 2026, was expected to have an impact on pension allocations in the future.

A representative of Lithuania said that, according to a report issued by the European Commission, the percentage of children who participated in preschool education in Lithuania had increased from 9.7% in 2015 to 36.9% in 2024. In the 2025/26 school year, 57% of children under 3 years and 98.5% of children aged 3 years or older attended an educational institution.

Preschool education services were available from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., allowing parents to work full time. Under the national action plan for the European Child Guarantee, access to childcare and preschool education was guaranteed for families in situations of social risk, allowing parents in such families to look for work. Plans were in place to create 2,000 more preschool places for children in vulnerable situations. Children attending preschool or school, including in rural areas, would be given the right to remain in their institution until 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., where they would engage in informal activities or receive educational support.

A representative of Lithuania said that a number of measures were being taken to reduce the gender pay gap. Companies with the largest gaps were subjected to audits to determine whether the principle of non-discrimination was being upheld. Between 2022 and 2025, 190 such audits had been carried out and over 150 consultations had been organized. The European Union Pay Transparency Directive would be implemented to ensure that the gender pay gap continued to fall in a sustainable manner. The Directive was expected to be transposed into national law in the second quarter of 2026. Once it was in force, women’s power to negotiate their salary during the onboarding process would be enhanced and employees would have access to information on the average salary paid for the same work. Any employer with a gender pay gap of more than 5% would be required to justify the gap and take measures to reduce it. The State Labour Inspectorate would take wide-ranging steps to raise employers’ and employees’ awareness of pay transparency and the principle of equal pay for equal work.

A representative of Lithuania said that the Employment Service provided a wide range of services related to employment, including consultation services, mediation during the onboarding process, vocational training, mobility assistance and the promotion of entrepreneurship. The municipalities provided assistance to persons who faced specific obstacles to employment, such as lack of motivation, dependence on alcohol or gambling, family responsibilities or difficulties reaching the workplace. Digital literacy courses were organized and assistance was given to persons who required access to social, educational and health services. A total of 1,200 women had benefited from such services in the past two years.

In cooperation with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the Employment Service helped women with disabilities to enter the labour market. Companies that employed women with disabilities could receive a subsidy to cover the cost of making workplace adaptations. Subsidies could also be allocated to employers when an existing employee acquired a disability. According to the available data, the proportion of women with disabilities in employment was higher than the proportion of men with disabilities in employment. The employment of persons with disabilities would be assessed with a view to further improving the measures taken to promote their access to the labour market. The Employment Service had begun collecting disaggregated data on persons with disabilities in 2025.

A representative of Lithuania said that the Government was enhancing the vocational training system to ensure that the principle of equal opportunities was upheld and to encourage women and girls to choose non-traditional professions, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students were informed about career opportunities and career guidance services were provided from the primary level onward. The number of career guidance specialists had increased from 415 in 2023 to 475 in 2024, with the biggest increase occurring in regions where vocational training services had previously been fragmented. Regional career centres had been established to provide assistance to career guidance specialists and to organize events in cooperation with educational establishments and employers. The centres played a role in encouraging girls to pursue studies or careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Ms. Akizuki said that she wished to know whether there was any evidence that the number of hours of unpaid care work undertaken by women was falling.

A representative of Lithuania said that the Government had begun to collect statistics on the number of people who took advantage of flexible working arrangements. The statistics would be published in 2027 and would be included in the next periodic report submitted by Lithuania to the Committee.

Ms. Peláez Narváez said that she would welcome information on the evaluation of the Health Strategy for 2014–2025 and the impact of the strategy on access to healthcare for women. She wished to know what steps were being taken to ensure that the State Patients’ Fund collected data disaggregated by sex on the ethnicity, disability and migration status of patients. She wondered what was being done to guarantee that Roma women, migrant women and women with disabilities had access to the full range of health services, including mental health and sexual and reproductive health services, on an equal basis with other citizens, and that their free, prior and informed consent to treatment was sought.

She would be grateful for information on the measures taken to ensure that all adolescents, including out-of-school Roma, adolescents with disabilities and migrants, received compulsory sex education that addressed the prevention of early pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, among other subjects. Information on any measures taken to remove the requirement for adolescent girls and young women to obtain a referral and a prescription for contraception would be welcome.

She would appreciate information on any steps taken to ensure access to gynaecological and obstetric services, including care for breast and cervical cancers, for women with disabilities, Roma women and migrants, particularly in rural areas. It would be interesting to learn why the State Party did not collect data on obstetric violence. She would be grateful for statistical data on abortions carried out within the previous year on girls under 18, Roma women and women with disabilities and information on abortions performed after the twelfth week of pregnancy. She wondered how many doctors offered abortion services and how many refused to do so on grounds of conscience. She would welcome information on the status of the bill that would allow abortions up to the twelfth week of pregnancy without the need to cite medical grounds and up to the twenty-second week in cases of medical necessity, rape or incest.

She wished to know what was being done to ensure that women and girls with disabilities had the right to decide freely on matters related to their sexuality, including their sexual and reproductive health. It would be useful to learn about any measures being taken to prohibit non-consensual sterilization, to provide redress to victims and to ban medical interventions on intersex minors. She would like to know what measures had been taken to update the health system by adopting the eleventh revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems and ensuring that transgender people had access to health care services without being required to obtain a psychiatric diagnosis.

She wondered what was being done to ensure that mental health services recognized domestic violence as a form of gender-based violence and as a major public health issue and to eliminate the barriers that hindered women’s access to such services, including low levels of awareness, the lack of trained professionals, low prioritization and weak coordination. She would welcome data on the use of mental health services by women victims of intimate partner violence. She would like to know why very few victims sought help and what measures would be taken to expand the availability of community-based services. It would be useful to know why policies on mental health and the treatment of persons with psychosocial disabilities lacked a gender perspective and what would be done to rectify that omission.

A representative of Lithuania said that patients’ rights were protected by the Law on Patients’ Rights and Compensation for Damage to Health, which prohibited any restriction of those rights on grounds of age, gender, ethnicity, language, social status, religious conviction, sexual orientation, disability or other grounds. All healthcare services were provided solely on the basis of a patient’s health status.

Under the law, medical abortions could be performed up to the fourth week of pregnancy and surgical abortions could be performed up to the sixth week or up to the twenty‑second week if the procedure was necessary on medical grounds. Abortions performed on medical grounds were free of charge and were also available to girls aged 14 years or younger, women aged 49 years or older and women whose pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.

Medical services were provided by a broad network of healthcare institutions. In 2024, 66 institutions had provided abortion services. The number of abortions carried out had fallen from 5,570 in 2020 to 4,490 in 2024. The number of abortions performed on girls under 18 had fallen from 56 to 28 while the number of births to girls under 18 had fallen from 106 in 2020 to 55 in 2025. Girls and women between the ages of 15 and 20 could obtain free contraception.

Before a medical abortion could be performed, women were required to undergo an in-depth consultation with a gynaecologist or obstetrician that took into account their age and health status. Medical and psychological care were offered to women who required such services. Women were informed about the different abortion methods and any possible complications. If they agreed to proceed with an abortion, they were prescribed medication to terminate the pregnancy and given a follow-up appointment to assess their state of health.

A recent development had been the establishment in 2025 of a service through which specialized nurses or obstetricians would, over a period of 18 months, conduct regular visits to the homes of expectant mothers and mothers with children under the age of 2. Priority was given to adolescent mothers, first-time mothers over the age of 40 and vulnerable women. Migrants who were enrolled in the compulsory health insurance scheme had access to the same healthcare services as Lithuanians. Steps were taken to ensure that asylum-seekers or individuals who had been granted temporary protection received any urgent or necessary medical treatment.

A representative of Lithuania said that free mental health support had been provided in Lithuanian health centres since 2021. The number of women seeking such support had risen from almost 10,000 in 2020 to more than 21,000 in 2025. The Ministry of Health was in the process of implementing a national action plan on suicide prevention, and a website on that topic had been created to provide persons at risk and their family members with information on the ways to seek help. Mobile teams had been set up to help people experiencing a mental health crisis, who could also obtain support by calling a dedicated hotline. Specific assistance was available to individuals who had been affected by violence, suicide or other traumatic experiences.

A representative of Lithuania said that, in 2025, the Reception and Integration Agency had established a translation service to support vulnerable foreigners while they integrated into Lithuanian society.

A representative of Lithuania said that the European Union directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence had been transposed into Lithuanian law in June 2025, leading to the redefinition of domestic violence as gender-based violence.

Ms. Peláez Narváez said that she would be grateful for a response to her questions on forced or involuntary sterilization and the reparations awarded to victims of that practice.

Ms. Mikko said that she would be interested to learn what measures had been taken to guarantee access to healthcare for older women in rural areas and ensure effective cooperation between the health, law enforcement and social services in cases involving drug‑facilitated sexual violence.

Ms. Eghobamien-Mshelia said that she would like to know what regulatory and policy reforms the State Party planned to introduce to address gender inequalities in the national accounting system and across core economic sectors, with a view to improving its score on the Gender Equality Index. The delegation might explain how the value of unpaid work carried out by women was recognized and what steps would be taken to tackle the causes of the gender pension gap and the fact that, for many economically inactive women, it was not always financially beneficial to return to work. She wondered whether the State Party would consider adopting a gender tax code to reduce the tax wedge, which had a disproportionate impact on women. She would welcome an explanation of how the NGO-led project on unpaid care work, funded by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, was being managed, who the main beneficiaries were and what lessons had been learned from its implementation. It would be useful if the delegation could provide data, disaggregated by age, sex and sector, on the beneficiaries of the services provided by the Innovation Agency and a list of the private sector organizations that granted unpaid free time during the working day. Data on women’s actual access to financial resources would be appreciated, as would an indication of the percentage of small business loans or State‑guaranteed credits that had been granted to women‑owned enterprises in the previous three years. The delegation might comment on whether the State Party would consider reviewing the eligibility criteria for the business certificate regime to enable more small businesses run by self-employed individuals to operate under it. She was curious to know what policies, mechanisms and reparation measures would be introduced to enhance access to justice for women who had faced digital‑ and technology‑facilitated rights violations and what was being done to increase the opportunities open to women with digital skills.

A representative of Lithuania said that the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation was developing a pilot project through which women would be offered training and financial support to help them run businesses.

A representative of Lithuania said that the fact that one of the country’s unicorn companies was led by a woman was a reflection of the progress made in increasing the representation of women in the information and communications technology sector.

Ms. Eghobamien-Mshelia said that she was curious to know what measures the State Party had introduced to monitor the progress made by its public companies towards the achievement of the targets set under the European Union Gender Balance on Boards Directive. Information on any steps taken to promote women’s participation and leadership in sports would also be appreciated.

Ms. Pia-Comella said that she would welcome an update on the progress made by the State Party in reforming the guardianship system for women with disabilities in order to align it with the relevant provisions of the Convention. She wished to know what policies were in place to ensure that women with disabilities, single mothers, migrant women and older women had equal access to the labour market and what steps were being taken to criminalize forced sterilization. The delegation might explain how the State Party identified and documented cases of gender‑based persecution and whether there were plans to disaggregate data on foreign nationals by age, sex, nationality and other criteria taken into account in decisions concerning asylum, refugee status and temporary protection. It would be helpful to receive more information on the projects being run to facilitate the integration of asylum‑seeking, refugee and migrant women and girls, the steps being taken to identify the risks faced by those women and specific examples of the measures introduced to guarantee their protection. She wished to know what was being done to identify the gaps in social services that were currently being filled by persons carrying out unpaid care work.

A representative of Lithuania said that, since 2023, subsidies had been available to employers to help them make workplace adjustments for staff with disabilities. In the event that a staff member’s condition worsened, further adjustments should be made to ensure that he or she could remain in employment. He or she would also be entitled to support from an assistant. The Government recognized that more needed to be done to tackle the disability employment gap and thus intended to conduct an extensive evaluation of the existing measures aimed at supporting the employment of persons with disabilities with a view to making them more targeted.

A representative of Lithuania said that Lithuania was home to 135,000 women and 6,800 girls with disabilities. A new law on the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, which enshrined the key principles of equality, equal rights, non-discrimination and dignity, had entered into force in early 2024. The law provided for the replacement of certain disability-related terms with more dignified language; the term “special assistance”, for example, had been replaced with “individual assistance” in order to reflect that each person with disabilities should be treated as an individual. The transition from a medical to a social model of disability meant that disability assessments were focused on the person’s ability to live and function in the community rather than on his or her medical diagnosis. Assistance plans were drawn up based on the assessment of the person’s individual needs and were then sent to the institutions responsible for providing support, which would contact the person concerned to make the necessary arrangements. All those institutions had to ensure that they communicated with persons with disabilities in the way that was most understandable to them. A body made up of representatives of the Government, the Office of the President and NGOs had been established to address issues affecting persons with disabilities. The holder of the body’s presidency was rotated among ministries every six months to ensure that such issues were addressed from a wide range of perspectives. In 2024, a mechanism had been set up to provide children with serious psychosocial disabilities with personal assistance.

A representative of Lithuania said that the Law on Patients’ Rights and Compensation for Damage to Health established the requirement for patients’ consent to be obtained prior to the administration of any medical treatment.

A representative of Lithuania said that medical personnel had to obtain permission from the courts before performing a sterilization procedure on a person who lacked the capacity to consent to the procedure. That rule did not, however, apply in cases in which the procedure needed to be carried out as a matter of absolute necessity or urgency.

A representative of Lithuania said that asylum-seekers were housed in reception centres, where they had the right to stay for up to six months after a decision on their case had been made. Each person in those centres was assessed by a team of doctors, psychologists and social workers to identify any vulnerabilities and ensure that he or she received tailored support. Individuals whose applications for asylum or additional protection had been approved received financial and other forms of assistance to facilitate their integration into Lithuanian society and were assigned a social worker who would monitor the progress they made.

Articles 15 and 16

Ms. Hacker said that she was curious to know whether women involved in divorce and separation cases who were unable to afford private legal representation had access to comprehensive legal aid. The delegation might explain whether the State Party planned to develop a comprehensive legal framework that ensured that all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, had an equal right to a family and family life, including through the recognition of marriages legally conducted abroad and the right of same‑sex couples to enter into a registered civil partnership. It would be interesting to learn whether the State Party planned to introduce measures to ensure equal access to parenthood and fertility treatment for all individuals regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status. She wondered, too, whether the State Party intended to abolish the requirement for married persons who wished to legally change their gender to obtain a divorce before doing so.

She would welcome an explanation of whether the State Party planned to conduct a study on the use of mediation in family disputes in which domestic violence was a factor, what impact the existence of domestic violence had on child custody arrangements and what legal guarantees were in place to ensure that women who were the primary caregiver for their children were not left at a financial disadvantage after obtaining a divorce. Statistics on relative poverty rates among divorced women and men would be appreciated, as would data on the number of marriages involving persons under the age of 18 that had been authorized by the courts in the previous five years and the number of such marriages that had taken place without court approval. She would be interested to hear whether the State Party planned to prohibit marriage for persons under 18 and what would be done to protect the rights of mothers in cases in which the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction had been abusively invoked by their children’s father, who often had a history of violence.

A representative of Lithuania said that a bill that would enable same-sex couples to enter into formal civil partnerships had been submitted to Parliament. Discussions on possible ways to overcome the constitutional obstacles that were preventing the recognition of same‑sex marriage were ongoing.

A representative of Lithuania said that the authorities responsible for implementing the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction had a duty to ensure gender equality and protect the rights of women who had been victims of violence. In accordance with national case law, each case should involve an individualized assessment of the circumstances that led the mother to leave the country, the best interests of the children concerned and any possible risks they faced. In some cases, in particular those involving violence or exploitation, mothers were not automatically ordered to return their children. The assessments had been introduced to prevent the use of the Hague Convention as a tool to undermine women’s rights and protection. Lithuania participated in all international discussions on the grounds for non-return.

A representative of Lithuania said that, in recent years, approximately 50% of family disputes had been settled through mediation. The mediation system had been improved thanks to the introduction of an amendment to the law under which a person would be exempted from mediation if the other party was subject to a domestic violence protection order.

A representative of Lithuania said that legal amendments would be introduced to change procedures for children’s contact with their non-custodial parent in cases of high‑conflict separation or domestic violence, to ensure that children were not caught up in the conflict.

A representative of Lithuania said that the municipal authorities were responsible for the delivery of social services. The Ministry of Social Security and Labour set out the standards to which those authorities were required to adhere and conducted assessments to identify gaps in the services they offered. The municipal authorities were informed of the results of the assessments so that they could take steps to address any gaps found.

A representative of Lithuania said that primary legal aid, which mostly consisted of legal advice and document preparation, was provided free of charge by each municipality. In contrast, eligibility for free secondary legal aid, which included court representation, was subject to the fulfilment of certain criteria. Between 2020 and 2025, the number of persons with disabilities who had been granted that form of legal aid in a given year had ranged from 200 to more than 500.

A representative of Lithuania said that the Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service informed the law enforcement authorities of any crimes committed against children within 24 hours of receiving the relevant reports. Steps were then taken to provide the children concerned with access to a lawyer and other forms of secondary legal aid.

A representative of Lithuania said that no official data on the poverty rate among divorced parents were available. The Government did, however, recognize that single parents were at a higher risk of poverty and had taken many measures to resolve that issue. In December 2025, tax laws had been amended to protect the income of the lowest earners.

A representative of Lithuania said that the minimum age for marriage was set at 18. Nonetheless, the courts could authorize the marriage of persons aged 16 and 17 in exceptional cases in which marriage was not deemed to be detrimental to their interests. Court staff were required to interview the minors concerned and assess their level of maturity and individual situation before making a decision. The authorities did not encourage early marriages, and the reality was that very few took place in practice.

A representative of Lithuania said that the delegation would respond to any unanswered questions in writing. Lithuania greatly appreciated the opportunity to receive feedback on its laws and practices and would put the Committee’s comments and suggestions to good use in order to ensure fulfilment of the State’s international commitments in the area of women’s rights. Steps would also be taken to put the proposals received from NGOs and women’s organizations into practice.

The Chair said that she wished to thank the delegation for its participation in the constructive dialogue and encourage the State Party to take all necessary measures to give effect to the Committee’s recommendations, with a view to ensuring the comprehensive implementation of the Convention for the benefit of all women and girls in the country.

The meeting rose at 5 p.m.