Commissioner for the Protection of Equality Brankica Jankovic spoke at the opening of conference “Dress for Success” which was organized by Dress for Success Belgrade and Savski Venac municipality. Commissioner supported the work of this organization whose aim is to empower women in order to reach economy independence through providing support networking, from education to other developmental tools for work and life progress.

We are facing gender stereotypes every day, because women are most often seen through given patterns and patriarchal roles, which lead to limiting of business possibilities that women must have, said Commissioner stressing that only women who is independent economically is truly free.

Women alone are often not able to step out the vicious circle, they need help and support to overview their own abilities and potentials, stressed Jankovic and added that women in Serbia have more difficulties to find employment, often have lower salaries than men for the same job and are more exposed to discrimination and job losses. Therefore it is necessary to include as many organizations, companies and individuals as possible, who possess true intent to provide support and extensively contribute with their activities to the achievement of economic independence of women, concluded Commissioner.

Other speakers at the conference were also president of Savski Venac Municipality Assembly Nemanja Beric and Dress for Success executive director Sandra Abramovic.