CONFERENCE | by Camilla Azzini
Left Behind – Brussels Conference: Edita Ziobiene
Biographical note:
Ombudsperson for Children’s Rights, Edita Žiobienė was born on 5 July 1973. A Graduate in Sociology and Law and Doctor of Social Sciences (Law), she is Assoc. Prof. for Comparative Constitutional Law, Institutional Human Rights Protection and Media Law at Constitutional Law Department in Mykolas Romeris University since 2003. She has occupied different positions before being appointed by Parliament as Ombudsperson for Children in 2010.
She was member of the EU Network of Independent Experts on Fundamental Rights (2005- 2006), Board member of European Network against Racism and Xenophobia (2006-2010), member of Ethics Commission of Journalists and Publishers (2003-2005), Chairperson of the Ethics Commission of Journalists and Publishers (2005-2010), member of the Electoral Commission (2008-2010), member of EU Network of Legal Experts in Non-discrimination Field (2005-2010) and is member of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (since 2010). She is author of numerous scientific publications on national human rights institutions, protection of human rights, protection of the right to privacy, problems of discrimination, trafficking, protection of minors, and etc.
Abstract of presentation:
‘The Lithuanian Case’
Over the last few years the number of emigrants from Lithuania has been growing very fast, a particurlary intensive increase was observed in 2010. According to the statistics provided by the Department of Statistic, 83 577 people declared their emigration from Lithuania in 2010, i.e. 3,8 time more than in 2009. It should be noted, that statistics do not reflect the real situation of emigration, because not every person declares that he/she is emigrating from Lithuania. Anyway, statistics on declared and not declared emigration from Lithuania let us suppose that number of children suffering from negative results of emigrations grows every year. Parents decide to leave abroad expecting to increase their income, improve their (family’s) living conditions and etc., without assessing the negative results of this decision, the threat to keep constant and strong family’s relationship, affect to children socialization and psychosocial development. Often parents, who emigrated, do not return to Lithuania and (or) take children with themselves. Children, who experience parents’ (one of them or single parent) emigration, can suffer loss of their loving ones, feel lonely and sad, become aggressive and etc.