Principle of Human Equality: Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities
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Abstract
Equal rights and opportunities are laid down in the Constitution, the Law on Equal Opportunities as well as other legal acts and international agreements. Lithuania can be called a pioneer in the field of specific laws on equal opportunities since the Law on Equal Opportunities of the Republic of Lithuania, which was past on 1 December 1999 and came into effect on 1 March 1999, can be placed among the first ones passed in the whole region of Central and Eastern Europe. To ensure the work of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania on 25 May 1999 instituted the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman, which was provided with a status of independent public institution undertaking democracy, legality, impartiality and justice as the main principles of its activities.
The Equal Opportunities Ombudsman in co-operation with other Office officials supervises how the Law on Equal Opportunities is implemented by governmental and administration institutions, educational institutions and employers. To this end, the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman is entitled to be provided with all the information, documentation and material necessary for the performance of his functions. Additionally, he may participate at interviews for a job and admission tests at educational institutions as an observer. The office officials have the right to hand the material and information collected over to other competent institutions for further investigation or decision-making.
The new version of the Law specifies the notion of discrimination as to include both direct and indirect discrimination. When implementing the equal rights and opportunities it is important to assure that at all the levels of decision-making the actions or provisions would be prevented, which being apparently neutral, in fact put one of the social group into disadvantage in regard to the other. Therefore the final decisions on the impact of the measures or provisions on women and men are in the competence of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman or court.
Under the Law on Equal Opportunities state government and administration institutions are obliged to draw up and implement programs aimed at assuring equal and in that way changing public attitudes towards the superiority of one group against the other.
Legal changes to ensure equality in Lithuania were based on European integration goals.
The Equal Opportunities Ombudsman in co-operation with other Office officials supervises how the Law on Equal Opportunities is implemented by governmental and administration institutions, educational institutions and employers. To this end, the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman is entitled to be provided with all the information, documentation and material necessary for the performance of his functions. Additionally, he may participate at interviews for a job and admission tests at educational institutions as an observer. The office officials have the right to hand the material and information collected over to other competent institutions for further investigation or decision-making.
The new version of the Law specifies the notion of discrimination as to include both direct and indirect discrimination. When implementing the equal rights and opportunities it is important to assure that at all the levels of decision-making the actions or provisions would be prevented, which being apparently neutral, in fact put one of the social group into disadvantage in regard to the other. Therefore the final decisions on the impact of the measures or provisions on women and men are in the competence of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman or court.
Under the Law on Equal Opportunities state government and administration institutions are obliged to draw up and implement programs aimed at assuring equal and in that way changing public attitudes towards the superiority of one group against the other.
Legal changes to ensure equality in Lithuania were based on European integration goals.
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Please see Copyright and Licence Agreement for further details.
