Versli Mama

Lithuanian NGO Versli mama (Entrepreneurial Mom) organizes entrepreneurial educational activities for women, communicational campaigns for women-led SME's as well as operates an internet portal verslimama.lt which publishes business news, legal & business education, networking, maternity and female health-related information on a daily basis. Our activity stems from Lithuanian reality. Along with Finland, Lithuania envisages the longest maternity leave in EU for up to 3 years, but in contrast to Finland, imposes financial prohibitions on moms willing to earn during maternity leave term. So 3 or more years, spent at home with children, result in lost professional skills ('I am a zero as a specialist'), so-called gray zones in CV, poor self-confidence, health problems (emotional eating, low physical activity). Long maternity leave makes Lithuanian women unwanted in labor market since employers face employee replacement issues and have obligation to maintain the working place for up to 3 years. Age-related discrimination is also widespread–25 year old lady is seen as potential mother and therefore unwanted in labor market, and 40+ lady is considered too old to be employed. NGO Entrepreneurial Mom implements several projects, including health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) project 'Geros nuotaikos SFA'(HEPA for a Good Mood) for rural women with mood disorders and low physical activity levels, and ‘Versli mama HUB’ (Entrepreneurial Mom HUB) which is aimed at establishment and operation of a business center-like space for entrepreneurial moms with the main goals of better women empowerment through promotion of financial skills, maternity and health awareness raising as well as entrepreneurial education activities.(Due to COVID-19 crisis, the HUB project has been temporarily suspended).