New Study Reveals Barriers to Gender-Based Violence Support for Refugees in Lithuania

Legal status and practical barriers may prevent survivors of gender-based violence from receiving comprehensive and sustained assistance, according to a new study commissioned by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and conducted by Diversity Development Group (DDG). Despite Lithuania’s progressive national GBV response system, the research finds that refugees, asylum-seekers, and beneficiaries of temporary protection face various challenges in accessing essential support services.

The study highlights several key barriers that hinder access to protection and support. These include limited availability of healthcare and specialized social services for asylum-seekers and certain groups of temporary protection beneficiaries, difficulties in accessing interpretation for victim-support services, a lack of cultural sensitivity among some service providers, and low awareness among survivors about their rights and the assistance available to them. Whilst Lithuania has made progress in GBV legislation, current systems primarily address the needs of Lithuanian nationals.

“We hope this study will assist the important work ahead in removing legislative and practical barriers to ensure that all survivors can effectively access the support services in Lithuania, regardless of their legal status and country of origin,” says Renata Kuleš, UNHCR Government Liaison Officer for Lithuania.

Drawing on extensive desk research, an online survey of service providers, and qualitative interviews with experts, the study provides evidence-based recommendations to enhance inclusivity and accessibility within Lithuania’s GBV response system. These include ensuring unconditional access to GBV support services regardless of legal status, expanding the roles of institutions such as RIA, Migration Department, State Border Guard Service, and NGOs in identifying and referring survivors, strengthening linguistic and cultural accessibility of services, launching awareness campaigns tailored to diverse refugee communities.

Furthermore, the study emphasizes the need to integrate refugee populations into national GBV prevention and response frameworks, underscoring the importance of survivor-centered, inclusive, and culturally sensitive support.

UNHCR, DDG and experts will present outcomes of the study to key stakeholders on 13 October at the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) in Vilnius.

Full text of the study (in English) is available on here.