A review of newly published Lithuanian schoolbooks has found that men vastly outnumber women across subjects, with female characters confined to a narrow range of stereotypical roles – even in mathematics.
The findings were presented to the Lithuanian Parliament's Education and Science Committee by the association Lyderė (Female leader), which brings together women in leadership roles.
Researchers Asta Kupčinskaitė, a doctor of humanities, and Milda Krupauskienė examined the values conveyed through 17 teaching materials published in 2023–2024 – all produced under the country's newly revised national curriculum.
"Textbooks have an academic component, but they teach not only reading and arithmetic – they also teach values," Dr Kupčinskaitė told the committee.
A woman bakes pastries, men fight fires and sail ships
The researchers found that across subjects and age groups, men's names, professions and images appeared far more frequently than women's. In one primary education publication, an illustration showed six characters: five men and one woman. The men were depicted as a firefighter, sailor, doctor, police officer and construction worker. The woman was a pastry baker.
In descriptive passages, boys were shown attending sports training and playing board games. A girl named Lina, meanwhile, "wants to treat guests to tea."
"We can ask what message we are sending about the professions we are programming boys and girls to consider," Dr Kupčinskaitė said.
When the researchers compiled the words used to describe women across the materials, they found a short list: nursery assistant, choir conductor, tour guide, teacher, seamstress.
The vocabulary used for men was far broader, encompassing surgeon, chorister, painter, doctor, hussar, captain, barber, magician, hunter, teacher, pirate, police officer, horseman, soloist, coach, judge, farmer, driver, cook, fisherman, hooligan and guide.
"We invite everyone to seek a solution. Having looked through a greater number of publications, it is clear that this is not an isolated case or two – this is a recurring pattern," said Dr Kupčinskaitė.
History textbook written almost entirely in the masculine
In a music education textbook for older pupils, only 18% of the names mentioned were those of women. A new history textbook, according to the researchers, referred to women primarily as nuns and milkmaids, while men were described in a far wider variety of roles and contexts.
One of the study's authors, Milda Krupauskienė, noted that the history textbook was structured to trace every topic from ancient times through to the present day – a period in which women's public roles are self-evidently extensive.
"This textbook is written practically entirely in the masculine – only men appear in it," she said. "Every topic runs through to the present day, yet women are not included. There are far fewer of them."
"Imagine a girl reading a history textbook like that," Krupauskienė added, pointing out that such portrayals shape boys' assumptions too.
Even maths problems are not neutral
The researchers' scrutiny extended to word problems in a mathematics textbook – a subject where, in principle, the gender of a cyclist or a shopper ought to be entirely irrelevant.
What they found was striking. Women's surnames: none. Women's professions: 6% – essentially a single occupation, "teacher", mentioned twice. Female characters overall: 10%. Women's first names: 42%.
"After all, it doesn't matter who is riding the bicycle – it could just as easily be Rūta (a woman's name) as Jonas (a man's name)," Dr Kupčinskaitė pointed out.
In one set of problems involving a conference, the organisers were referred to in the masculine. Women's contribution to the event? A character named Jolanta looks after the refreshments.
"That is a stereotypical division of roles – and it appears even in mathematics," Dr Kupčinskaitė said.
The researchers also highlighted a task from a national English-language examination, in which two images were placed side by side: a young woman deliberating over which skirt to wear, and a suit-clad man standing at a crossroads with skyscrapers visible behind him.
"How does a girl feel when she receives an exercise like that?" Dr Kupčinskaitė asked.
Ministry points to publishers' responsibilities
Jonas Petkevičius, Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Sport, who attended the parliamentary session, said that responsibility for textbook content – and for ensuring it meets legal requirements around equality, non-discrimination and respect – lies with the publishers themselves.
When submitting a textbook for official registration, publishers are required to provide expert assessments confirming compliance.
"If any shortcomings are identified, the publisher is obliged to remedy them," Petkevičius said.
He also mentioned that the new textbooks had been produced under considerable time pressure, following the update to the national curriculum.
"New textbooks will certainly be scrutinised in greater detail," the Deputy Minister assured the committee.
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