Birutė Sabatauskaitė / Photo by O. Posaškova
1st April 2021
Birutė Sabatauskaitė appointed as a new Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson

On the 1st of April, Birutė Sabatauskaitė is starting to work as the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson of the Republic of Lithuania. She has been appointed to this position by the Parliament (Seimas) for the five-year term. The Seimas approved Sabatauskaitė’s candidacy which was proposed by the Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen. The candidacy of Sabatauskaitė was also supported by the Seimas’ Committee on Human Rights. The new Ombudsperson Sabatauskaitė is replacing Agneta Skardžiuvienė who has held this position until now.

From 2010 to 2013, Sabatauskaitė worked as a lawyer at the Lithuanian Centre for Human Rights. Since 2013 she has been the Director of the Centre and also the Head of Law and Advocacy. While working at the Center, she used to organize research on the human rights situation in Lithuania, deliver commentary on legislation, prepare and lead various projects on equal opportunities, as well as organize and deliver training on gender equality, non-discrimination, and the prevention of domestic violence. Earlier she had been working at the Mykolas Romeris University and the National Audit Office of Lithuania. Sabatauskaitė holds a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s degree in international law and is an expert of the European Network of Legal Experts in Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination.

According to the Law on Equal Treatment, a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania of good repute with a university degree in law, i.e. a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s degree in law or a professional degree in law (a one-stage university degree in law), and the legal work experience of not less than ten years may be appointed as the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson. The Ombudsperson shall be appointed by the Seimas on a motion of the Speaker of the Seimas for a period of five years. The same person may be appointed as Ombudsperson no more than two consecutive times.