School is an important factor in establishing a value system among young people, but this value system is also being built in other institutions. No one is and cannot be alone in this struggle, especially not teachers in schools, who, due to the abundance of administrative work, often cannot devote more time to their students and are frequently exposed to various forms of violence and discrimination, said Brankica Janković, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, in the opening address at the conference organized by the Women’s Section of the Education Union of Serbia.

The Commissioner pointed out that it is in the education system that all social problems are reflected, which in the future will only increase if they are not properly and comprehensively solved. According to the practice of the Commissioner, women stand out as the most discriminated social group in various areas, especially in the labor market, and the number of complaints in the field of work and employment filed based on membership in political, trade union, and other organizations is increasing.

Regardless of the individual solved cases, it would be good if the trade unions addressed us more on behalf of their members because individuals are often afraid to report discrimination. This would influence the detection and sanctioning of a greater number of rights violations and would also contribute to improving the position and protection of all employees, bearing in mind that they would be encouraged and better informed about the mechanisms of protection against discrimination, Janković concluded.

The Commissioner reminds that according to a 2021 survey by FemPlatz, “Position of women in trade unions in Serbia”, over 66 percent of respondents agree that trade unions adequately protect the rights of working women. However, the research participants stated that it is necessary to involve women more in the work of unions and encourage their activism, which would contribute to a better understanding of the problems of working women and improve their position.

During the two-day conference attended by about 30 members of the Section from all over Serbia, research was presented on the position of women in the trade union, and in addition to challenges and current problems in education, some of the main topics were gender equality and violence against women.