A fairer society is founded on equal opportunities, and fundamental rights such as education, employment, housing, healthcare, and social protection must be accessible to everyone, regardless of differences. The responsibility to ensure this is shared, as is the responsibility to provide support to the most vulnerable among us, said the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Milan Antonijević, on the occasion of the International Day of Social Justice.
Although progress has been made in reducing poverty, improving education, and developing the social protection system, structural inequalities, gender inequality, uncertainty in the labor market, and a lack of trust in institutions continue to hinder inclusive and sustainable development.
According to the latest data, the at-risk-of-poverty rate in Serbia is close to 20 percent, and poor citizens are often identified as one of the groups most frequently subjected to discrimination. Poverty remains one of the key causes of social exclusion and unequal position in society, while economic status significantly affects the quality of life and the opportunities available to individuals.
The experience of the Commissioner’s institution shows that citizens living in poverty rarely seek protection of their rights, and when they do, complaints most often relate to the exercise of rights in the field of social protection or to the conduct of public authorities. This serves as an additional reminder that the obligation in the field of social justice must be translated into concrete support for those who need it most, Antonijević added.
Reducing poverty and ensuring more equal social inclusion of all citizens would be supported by more efficient financial assistance to individuals and families in overcoming social and life difficulties, incentives for employment and entry into the labor market, accessible and quality education, support for families with children, as well as well-targeted social policy measures that must not be short-term or fragmented, but measures that will have a systemic and lasting effect.
In the coming months, activities aimed at raising awareness and improving information about the protection of fundamental rights will be implemented, which also represents an important step in preventing discrimination. Among other things, free legal aid, as a legally guaranteed right and an important mechanism for access to justice, must be truly accessible to everyone who needs it, especially to citizens who are at greater risk of discrimination. Therefore, it is essential that the system does not remain limited to formal solutions but actively reaches those who need support, the Commissioner concluded.
