Gender, ethnic and other prejudices widespread in Serbia

BELGRADE - Serbia's Commissioner for Protection of Equality Nevena Petrusic has observed that gender, ethnic and other stereotypes and prejudices, and high levels of social distance towards certain ethnic, religious, sexual and other minorities, are still deep-rooted and widespread in Serbia.

In her regular annual report for 2014, she said that those were the most important obstacles to the establishment of equality and full societal inclusion of all groups and individuals.

These factors is why the phenomenon is still widespread, despite the relatively satisfactory anti-discrimination legal framework and a number of activities aimed at preventing discrimination, she said.

The report for 2014 shows that the commissioner still receives the largest number of complaints over claims of discrimination based on ethnicity, which is followed by complaints of discrimination based on one's ethnic origin, health condition, age, disability and gender.

According to a release on the comissioner's website, more than one third of the complaints she received in 2014 were fild over discrimination during employment procedure or at the workplace, and most of them were filed against legal entities and government bodies.