EQUAL is a part of the European Employment strategy. The aims of the strategy are more and better jobs and a labour market open for all. Financed by the European Social Fund, EQUAL will develop and test new and innovative ideas and practise to combat discrimination and inequality in relation to the labour market. This programme provides opportunities to pilot and assess new ideas and applications intended to influence employment and training policy and practise. Transnational cooperation and exchange of experience is a crucial component of the programme.

Objectives:

To reduce intolerance for employees, experiencing discrimination concerning sexual orientation, to integrate and mainstream equal opportunities at work.

Goals:
•For the first time to make a thorough investigation into the situation of gay, lesbian and bisexual people in the Lithuanian labour market, to ascertain the scope of their vulnerability, the reasons for their exclusion and possible ways of overcoming discrimination, to raise public awareness in this regard as well as to foster tolerance.
•To develop, test and distribute on the basis of research and international experience a new model of equal employment opportunities (a set of methodology, tools and measures) among Lithuanian companies willing to implement the provisions of the Law on Equal Treatment in an effective/efficient manner.
Innovation:
Innovative approach of the project shows itself both with respect to the development partnership itself and its activities. For the first time in Lithuania new human and organisational forces have gathered together to form a development partnership (researchers, representatives of the private business sector, social skills development and target group organisations) that never before jointly dealt with the issue of reducing discrimination and inequality on the grounds of sexual orientation. This context-oriented innovation helps to create and retain the innovation culture during the project based on co-operation and interaction among different partners. Such a feedback among internal (including beneficiaries) and external sources gives added value to the interactive innovative process. Considering the national context, the community’s activities are also related with a new prospect of tolerance and equality of sexual minorities in the labour market as well as advanced practices of a few EU member states, which so far has not been tested in our country. Opportunities to work with new EU partners with a view of addressing the European issue of discrimination and inequality stimulates further innovations at the national level. Our activities assume innovative character due to the fact that research activities in the field of equality of employees representing sexual minorities are undertaken in Lithuania for the first time and they are both process and goal oriented. Representatives of target groups directly participate in investigation activities and have a chance to give their own proposals regarding the investigation and opportunities to monitor project resources, which delivers impact on the efficiency of the outputs and recommendations of the investigation. Sociologists will carry out an analysis that is completely new to Lithuania of the situation of employees of non-conventional orientation, which will open new opportunities for the participants of the project to achieve social integration in their organisations.

Prospective impact:
Increase in the imitativeness and independence of the target group, enhanced motivation and self-confidence – at the end of the project all members of the group will actively seek to secure employment in the jobs created by the project or other local companies/institutions or to gain new or improve the existing qualification;

Conception of self-identity and revival of depressed self-esteem – at job interviews and in their workplace homosexual men and women no longer conceal their lifestyles and speak of them as a legal part of public culture;

Both heterosexual participants of the project and representatives or subjects of public policy, i.e. NGOs, public institutions, political parties, etc. to whom information about the project is provided become markedly more tolerant to openly declared homosexual orientation of their employees or job aspirants;

Subjects of public policy who are informed about the project have a better understanding of the significance of the EU equal treatment and anti-discrimination policies upon integration of representatives of all vulnerable groups (including those of sexual minorities) into the labour market.
More information about the project you can find www.atviri.lt
Publications of the project: TRACE publication: norms at work, 2007 m.
http://www.atviri.lt/index.php/lgl/leidiniai/1367

TRACE publication: Open up your work place, 2007 m.
http://www.atviri.lt/index.php/lgl/leidiniai/1367