Latvia women in EU – before and after Full member of the Latvia Academy of Sciences Baiba Rivza Helsinki, 27 October, 2004 Address: Council of Higher Education of Latvia Meistaru street 21, Riga, LV 1050, Latvia Meistaru street 21, Riga, LV 1050, Latvia Phone: ; Fax:

Source: RIS Latvia - An innovation strategy for Latvia, 2004 The Republic of Latvia in Facts (situation on 1 January, 2004) Area: km 2 Population: 2.33 million Capital: Riga – inhabitants GDP growth: 7.5 % GDP per capita: EUR or LVL Inflation: 2.9 % Registered unemployment: 8.6 %

Current situation

Source: Demographic Yearbook of Latvia, 2003 Percentage of women in population Total in the country – 54 % Urban population – 55 % Rural population – 52 %

Source: Demographic Yearbook of Latvia, 2003 (according to the working and retirement age laid down in the respective legislation) Females by main age group Year Under working age, % Of working age, % Over working age, %

There are 32.5 % women of the employers in Latvia Proportion of women employers in regions:

Women among researchers in the new EU member states, %

Percentage of women in PhD graduates

Percentage of women in researchers by main field of science

Problems

Riga region and other Latvia Socio – economic indicators % from total in Latvia % from total in Latvia GDP64 Non-financial investments 63 Industry68 Density of enterprises 67 Density of innovative enterprises 69 Inhabitants47 Students78 Academic staff 77

Source: Report on Economic Development of Latvia, Ministry of Economics Republic of Latvia, 2004 Unemployed women from total unemployed, % 2000 – – – – – – – – 58.0

Monthly average gross wages and salary by gender and kind of activity,LVL Kind of activity Monthly average gross wages and salary, LVL FemalesMales Industry Agriculture Transport, storage and telecommunication Education Health and social work Public administration and defence

Relative share of women & men in a typical academic career

Share of women from the new EU member states in HE positions, % Country Full professors Associate professors Bulgaria Czech Republic 720 Estonia Hungary Latvia Lithuania Poland Romania1032 Slovak Republic 825 Slovenia1015

FEMALE PROFESSOR BY THE FIELD OF STUDY, % FEMALE PROFESSOR BY THE FIELD OF STUDY, %

Source: Overview on Latvia higher education 2003, Ministry of Education and science Percentage of total number of women in the fields of studies

Possibilities from EU

International cooperation in science EU framework programs EU framework programs COST COST INTAS INTAS EUREKA EUREKA Bilateral cooperation Bilateral cooperation Germany Germany France France USA USA Latvian – Lithuania – Taiwan support foundation for scientific cooperation Latvian – Lithuania – Taiwan support foundation for scientific cooperation

EU structural funds in Latvia, 2004 – 2006 EU structural funds million EUR European Regional Development Fund European Regional Development Fund 60 % European Social Fund European Social Fund 21 % European Agricultural Guidance and European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund Guarantee Fund 15 % The Financial Instrument for Fisheries The Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance Guidance 4 %

Support for Latvia women from EU structural funds Specially targeted initiatives will promote employability and entrepreneurship of women, especially of those returning to the labour market after the child – care leave Specially targeted initiatives will promote employability and entrepreneurship of women, especially of those returning to the labour market after the child – care leave Capacity of the institutions responsible for development and implementation of gender equality will be strengthened Capacity of the institutions responsible for development and implementation of gender equality will be strengthened

Support for Latvia women from EU structural funds EQUAL initiative measure – equal opportunities for women and men

Support for Latvia women from EU structural funds The gender quality aspect as horizontal objective is included throughout the Latvia Development Plan 2004 – 2006, primarily within the priority “Development of Human Resources and Promotion of Employment”, e.g.: Output indicators and baseline data are broken down by gender to monitor gender gaps and to measure progress in gender equality Output indicators and baseline data are broken down by gender to monitor gender gaps and to measure progress in gender equality Additional points in the selection criteria will be assigned to those projects which contribute to gender equality Additional points in the selection criteria will be assigned to those projects which contribute to gender equality Gender balance in Monitoring and Steering Committees will be encouraged Gender balance in Monitoring and Steering Committees will be encouraged

Microcredit → Interreg Project Microcredit Project Interreg SwedenFinland FinlandLithuania LatviaEstonia LithuaniaSweden EstoniaLatvia NorwayNorway Germany Belarus Poland Kaliningrad

Activities of project Interreg Building up resource centres and meeting places to strengthen the role of women in society and in local and regional development. Building up resource centres and meeting places to strengthen the role of women in society and in local and regional development. Resource centres: Latgale - 3 Latgale - 3 Vidzeme – 1 Vidzeme – 1 Kurzeme – 1 Kurzeme – 1 Zemgale – 1 Zemgale – 1

Activities of project Interreg Networks for training and exchange of experience for advisors and resource centre leaders Networks for training and exchange of experience for advisors and resource centre leaders Mentorship program for women entrepreneurs Mentorship program for women entrepreneurs

Activities of project Interreg Networking in microcredit groups and/or other financial solutions for women entrepreneurs Networking in microcredit groups and/or other financial solutions for women entrepreneurs Internationalization of women’s entrepreneurship in the BSR Internationalization of women’s entrepreneurship in the BSR

Thank You for Your attention!