A company’s success is not only measured by numbers and money earned but also by responsibility and attitude towards employees, co-workers, the environment, society and the values it represents. Diversity is a strength, and that is why it is important to continuously encourage a supportive and healthy working environment, without discrimination and with respect for human rights and the principle of equality, emphasized the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, on the occasion of the start of the implementation of the project “Improving equality in the field of work and employment – Joint initiative for equality in the workplace”.
Charter Partnership for Equality with the Commissioner was signed today by the Director of Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Serbia Daniela Funke, Director of the Sector for Strategic Analysis, Services and Internationalization of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Mihail Vesović, and President of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Milan Grujić. This marked the official start of the implementation of the project “Improving equality in the field of work and employment – Joint Initiative for Equality in the Workplace”, as part of the project “Initiative for Global Solidarity” implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Serbia, and financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development ( BMZ).
Within the project, intensive work will be done on expanding the network of companies and strengthening their capacities through Partnership for Equality which the Commissioner started in 2017. At regional gatherings and workshops with employers, amended and supplemented guidelines for drafting the code of anti-discrimination policy of employers in Serbia – the so-called Equality Code will be presented, as an effective internal mechanism for recognizing and preventing potential cases of discrimination in the work environment. These gatherings will allow companies to improve their knowledge of prevention and protection against discrimination and familiarize themselves with new regulations and examples of good practices to ensure that all employees have equal chances for professional development and a dignified life from their work.
The signatories of the Charter emphasized the importance of encouraging a business environment without discrimination, in which everyone will be treated equally and where joint trust and cooperation based on mutual respect will be built, thus motivating the entire team towards common goals. Commissioner Janković concluded that including ESG principles in business strategies is gradually becoming necessary for all companies and an important factor in building sustainable business success.
