Discrimination on the labor market is still very present and each year the largest number of complaints are received from citizens precisely because of the discrimination they have experienced at work or during the employment process,  said Commissioner for Protection of Equality Brankica Jankovic at conference in Cacak “The Second Chance for Women 45+ in Serbia “.

On the day when the World Day of Social Justice is being marked, Commissioner Janković pointed out that the data from numerous reports and research indicate that women are in a less favorable position, compared to men, in all areas of social life. This is also verified by the facts from the Special Report and Research on Discrimination at the Labor Market, which Commissioner for the Protection of Equality recently submitted to the Serbian Parliament. According to these data, women aged 45+ are considered older on the labor market which makes harder for them to find employment, while the employment of men is higher by 13.6% compared to women. The pay gap ranges from 9% to 16%, and women find it much more difficult to access management positions.

Speaking about achieving a higher level of social justice, Commissioner stressed that it is inextricably linked to the improvement of the economic status of the population and that it is necessary to continue with further economic development. According to the data of the Republic Bureau of Statistics from 2019, 24.3% of the population in Serbia is at risk of poverty, and members of vulnerable social groups are among the most endangered part of population. The key imperative of our society and all responsible actors should be to reduce that percentage every day, says Janković and highlights that the improvement of the education system, which should be accessible to everyone, is one of the most important things in that process.