The Vilnius University Gender Studies Centre (GSC) – the first of its kind in the Baltic States - was established in 1992.  Today the GSC functions as base for interdisciplinary academic research on women and gender.  The centre also plays an important role in forming gender policy in Lithuania.

 

The foundational goal of the GSC is to integrate gender studies into the common curriculum at Vilnius University.  Every semester the GSC offers undergraduate electives   that are open to students from all VU departments.  The courses are distributed among several academic subjects: feminist philosophy, gender sociology, visual culture, feminist literature critique, feminist theology, personal law, women’s history, gender and information technology, masculinity studies and women’s health.  These courses are not merely an introduction to gender studies, but give an opportunity for students to incorporate knowledge of gender issues into their main course of study.  Each year these GSC electives take in approximately 300 students.

 

 

 

 

 Since 1999 the Gender Studies Centre has been publishing an annual journal “Feminizmas, visuomenė, kultūra” (Feminism, Society, Culture). It is the only interdisciplinary journal in Lithuania and the Baltics that focuses on the women’s and gender studies.

 

 

 The library was established concurrently with the center and presently houses 2800 volumes on women’s, men’s and gender studies. It is the only library in Lithuania to focus on gender and is one of the largest in the Baltics.

In 2002 a virtual library feature was introduced at www.moterys.lt

 

 

 

Archive was established in 2001 with the goal of collect the most significant women’s presentations in a visual culture. Presently Archive includes more than 60 movies which were made in Soviet Lithuania (1945 – 1990).

 

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