(Anti-)Gender Tendencies and Women’s Political Leadership in the Baltic States

• In Event: Gender and Politics in the Baltic States

Abstract

The years 2020 and 2021 proved to be pivotal for both Lithuania and Estonia as these two Baltic States saw the emergence of the first most gender-balanced cabinets in countries’ histories. Over the past two decades several political “glass ceilings” have been broken in the Baltic States: each Baltic country had elected women presidents; had women leading typically “male” ministries (i.e., foreign affairs, defense, interior, finance, etc.); had elected women speakers and chairs of parliament; and had chosen women as heads of influential political parties.
Such gender advances in the sphere of political leadership are laudable, yet it is important to examine if this progress is part of a major trend in the Baltic States towards gender parity in women’s representation or are these breakthroughs appear to be temporary and short-term aberrations?
This paper, first, empirically maps women’s descriptive representation in the Baltic executive and legislative branches to determine the extent of gender parity attained over the 1990-2023 period. Then, using current Lithuanian and Estonian women-led governments as case studies, it compares what gender-parity and equality bills high-ranking women politicians/ministers have been seeking to pass. Third, the paper focuses on how Lithuanian, Estonian, and, recently, Latvian women-led cabinets have responded to challenges posed by genderphobic institutional roadblocks and anti-gender social movements that have gained influence particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper concludes with a contemplation as to why—despite major “glass ceiling” cracks over the 30+ years—male dominance and genderphobia in Baltic politics continue to linger.

Short Bio

Ausra Park is a Professor of International Relations at Siena College. Her research focuses on post-communist top political leadership (presidents, prime ministers, parliament chairs, and ministers of foreign affairs), small states' foreign policies, women in politics, gender and diplomacy, small states' status seeking, the role and impact of foreign policymaking institutions, nation-branding, and migration. Prof. Park’s work has been published in leading interntioanl scholarly, peer-reviewed journals. She also has been a recipient of numerous national and international fellowships and scholarships from the Department of State Title VIII program, the German Marshall Fund of the U.S., IREX, ACTR/ACCELS, AABS Baumanis grant, etc. She is currently conducting fieldwork for her longitudinal and transnational comparative study on the first women presidents in post-communist Europe (with case studies on completed presidencies in Latvia, Lithuania, Kosovo, Croatia, and Estonia).

Author

• Ausra Park, Siena College