Commissioner for Protection of Equality Brankica Jankovic initiated strategic litigation for the protection against discrimination before Superior Court in Belgrade, on behalf of Snezana Pesovic, because of discrimination on grounds of sex and family status. Beside the request to determine discrimination and eliminate consequences of discriminatory act, the lawsuit asks the Court to issue temporary measure in order to urgently prohibit discrimination and prevent further consequences of such acting which may be harmful for the employee because of her pregnancy and maternity leave.

This case is strategically important since discrimination of women because of pregnancy and maternity leave is impermissible. Still, this type of discrimination occurs frequently on the labor market, an area to which we are particularly dedicated. “On the same day when the report about Snezana Pesovic was broadcasted on RTS, we visited her and she gave us consent to represent her in court. After that we began a detailed analysis and collection of evidence in order to file a lawsuit”, said Commissioner Jankovic.

This last case confirmed once again that media are important partner who contribute to suppression and prevention of discrimination by publishing and reporting about such individual life cases which are caused by discriminatory acts of some employers. The state has mechanisms to prevent such behavior and that is why I believe that this example will encourage women to address our institution and ask for the protection, Commissioner concluded.