Women's subjective well-being: a micro-level analysis for Poland and Lithuania

This research focuses on subjective well-being, which reflects what people think about various aspects of their lives. The assessment of the well-being of the population is a subject of interest to many scientific disciplines, as it has been noted that people who feel better are more productive at work and in society. Taking women's perspectives into account allows for a broader understanding of specific social groups and provides a basis for the development of appropriate social policy instruments to empower women. The aim of the study was to determine the level of subjective well-being of women at the local level and to identify socio-economic factors related to the subjective well-being of women. The analysis takes into account the examples of Poland and Lithuania as countries with similar historical conditions and levels of development. The study on women's well-being used qualitative data from the European Social Survey (ESS) round 10 (2021), which is one of the most methodologically reliable survey studies in Europe. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were applied. The research revealed differences in the level of life satisfaction and happiness in Poland and Lithuania. Differences in the level of well-being were also found depending on the place of residence of women and in relation to men. Both age and subjective health assessment proved to be significant factors influencing women's subjective well-being. Furthermore, the study revealed that women's well-being at the local level is determined by various factors related to the territory and characteristics of the respondents, and the selection of all its socio-economic determinants poses a challenge for further research. Subjective well-being from a gender perspective should be systematically monitored in order to achieve a higher level of well-being across society.