Brankica Janković, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, condemns press statement of Zoran Đorđević, Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs made at today’s conference organized on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, as offensive and inappropriate.

Irrespective of the fact that the Minister quoted Jovan Dučić, famous Serbian poet, such views and attitudes from one century ago are disparaging to all women in our society and insult their dignity. Instead of suppressing gender prejudices driving gender inequality, such attitudes serve to reinforce them even further.

In view of the fact that women are highly exposed to discrimination and that discriminatory and sexist statements against women persist in our public realm, public and political stakeholders need to exercise caution and be additionally vigilant when addressing the public. Moreover, they have the obligation to do everything in their power to suppress prejudice and debunk stereotypes.