On September 17, 2026, researchers from the Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences – Dr. Kristina Ambrazevičiūtė, Dr. Raimonda Bublienė, and Dr. Ingrida Mačernytė-Panomariovienė – participated in the XV European Congress of the International Society for Labour and Social Security Law (ISLSSL), held in Ljubljana, Slovenia. This year, the congress participants were brought together by the event's theme and title: "Social Europe under Strain – Contemporary Challenges of National and European Labour and Social Security Laws."
Dr K. Ambrazevičiūtė presented a paper entitled “Age and Gender Non-discrimination in Labour Law: Challenges for Older Working Women in the Baltic States”, in which she discussed and compared the situation of older women in employment in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, focusing on protection against discrimination on the grounds of age and gender, possibilities for individualising working conditions, and legal protection upon termination of employment. The researcher noted that although employment rates among older women (aged 55–64) in all three countries exceed the European Union average, the nature and strength of legal measures supporting their continued participation in employment differ. The comparison also showed that the strength of the legal measures examined does not directly correspond to the employment rate of older women: stronger formal legal guarantees are established in Lithuania, while Estonia has the highest employment rate among women aged 55–64. This suggests that the continued participation of older women in the labour market is determined by a broader range of factors, with labour law regulation being only one part of the overall picture.
This presentation was prepared within the project "(Not)prolonging the Working Life of Older Women: Legal Environment, Guarantees and Intentions" (VAM), implemented by the Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences and funded by the Research Council of Lithuania. For more information about this project, see https://teise.org/en/projektai/vam/
Dr. R. Bublienė and Dr. I. Mačernytė-Panomariovienė, in their presentation "Intersectional Discrimination and Equal Pay," identified economic inequality resulting from female unemployment and reduced labour income as a structural inequality in society characterized by a lack of opportunities. Women face part-time work, career breaks due to care responsibilities (maternity or other reasons), poverty-driven occupational segregation, and the glass ceiling effect more frequently than men. All of this carries long-term consequences, impacts pay transparency and labour income, and has implications for future pensions.
This presentation was prepared within the postdoctoral fellowship project "Multiple Discrimination and Labour Income: A Comparative Analysis of Legal Regulation in European Countries (MEDALIC)," implemented by the Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences and funded by the Research Council of Lithuania. For more information about this project, see https://teise.org/en/projektai/medalic/