Gender discrimination harms Serbia's economy

Serbia's Commissioner for Equality Nevena Petrusic says women are torn between family obligations and demands at work. There they constantly have to prove themselves but on average earn 16 percent less than men. Gender discrimination harms Serbia's economy "The difference in income between men and women is 16 percent. In 2010, college-educated women earned, on average, RSD 16,300 less than their male colleagues," said Petrusic. At a roundtable discussion entitled "Gender-based discrimination in the business sector - recognizing it and stopping it," organized by the First Women's Club association, she said that unequal treatment of men and women was not only socially unacceptable, but also economically harmful. Petrusic pointed out that business policy needed to include a gender perspective, i.e. consider how certain decisions would affect women and how they would affect men. That women are discriminated when it comes to work can also be seen from the fact they make up two thirds of the unemployed who have been out of work for over eight years, she said. "Also, only 20 percent of private companies are owned by women," added the commissioner for equality, noting they also account for 80 percent of the employees who voluntarily leave their jobs for family reasons. She said fathers who use paternity leave - an option offered under the law - were very few. "Women are absent from places of money and power. As long as we can list them all by name, it means they are not the rule, but the exception," said Petrusic. Her assistance Kosana Beker said that around eight percent of the complaints coming into the commissioner's office were related to gender discrimination, and around 37 percent to discrimination in the workplace or in the hiring process. Beker added the office had filed three strategic lawsuits related to this issue, one against an employer who posted an add seeking "a female worker." "There is also a case against a bank, based on a complaint from an employee who was demoted after she came back from maternity leave. We determined that in the last three years, 80 percent of the women working there had had the same thing happen to them, so we sued the bank," said Beker. According to Beker, the commissioner's office could bury the courts with lawsuits, but due to its limited resources, it only files suits in cases where having a court judgment is important. Tanjug

Gender discrimination harms Serbia's economy

"The difference in income between men and women is 16 percent. In 2010, college-educated women earned, on average, RSD 16,300 less than their male colleagues," said Petrušić.

At a roundtable discussion entitled "Gender-based discrimination in the business sector - recognizing it and stopping it," organized by the First Women's Club association, she said that unequal treatment of men and women was not only socially unacceptable, but also economically harmful.

Petrušić pointed out that business policy needed to include a gender perspective, i.e. consider how certain decisions would affect women and how they would affect men.

That women are discriminated when it comes to work can also be seen from the fact they make up two thirds of the unemployed who have been out of work for over eight years, she said.

"Also, only 20 percent of private companies are owned by women," added the commissioner for equality, noting they also account for 80 percent of the employees who voluntarily leave their jobs for family reasons.

She said fathers who use paternity leave - an option offered under the law - were very few.

"Women are absent from places of money and power. As long as we can list them all by name, it means they are not the rule, but the exception," said Petrušić.

Her assistance Kosana Beker said that around eight percent of the complaints coming into the commissioner's office were related to gender discrimination, and around 37 percent to discrimination in the workplace or in the hiring process.

Beker added the office had filed three strategic lawsuits related to this issue, one against an employer who posted an add seeking "a female worker."

"There is also a case against a bank, based on a complaint from an employee who was demoted after she came back from maternity leave. We determined that in the last three years, 80 percent of the women working there had had the same thing happen to them, so we sued the bank," said Beker.

According to Beker, the commissioner's office could bury the courts with lawsuits, but due to its limited resources, it only files suits in cases where having a court judgment is important.