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]]>Drawing on good practices from around the world, the standards set out actions companies can take to protect the rights of LGBTI individuals. These include eliminating workplace discrimination, making sure business operations do not contribute to discrimination against customers, suppliers, or members of the public, and working with business partners to address discriminatory practices up and down the supply chain. Standards are based on the outcome of a series of regional consultations held in 2016 and 2017 in Mumbai, New York, Kampala, and Brussels.
These standards were also presented in Serbia in October 2018, when their importance was emphasized given that citizens in Serbia most frequently report discrimination in the field of labour and employment. UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia Carla Robin Kirshi said that the UN recognizes equality and protection against discrimination as universal, binding principles, and that is why the UN Team in Serbia is at the disposal of all actors to support them in achieving equality in all spheres of life, including the economy.
Standards represent measures that companies can and should take to align their policies and practices with existing human rights standards. They recognize the need for a nuanced and differentiated approach based on the diversity of contexts and individuals that make up the LGBTI spectrum. Also, they are intended to support rights-making interactions between companies and a wide range of actors – from employees to consumers to trade unions – as progress in this area requires the participation of all actors at all levels.
The five standards are:
You can download Standards of Conduct for Companies to Combat Discrimination Against LGBTI Persons here.
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]]>This is a moment to use the opportunity to reset the BiH business sector’s approach to diversity and inclusion, and gives enough elbow room to introduce new approaches, procedures and practices that will be both effective and beneficial for the businesses, bringing prosperity and advancement to our economy as well as for different vulnerable social groups, creating a single unique encompassing approach to social inclusion in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s business community, and saving resources and time in tackling the issues of inclusion and diversity women, LGBTI people, Roma people and people with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This is to be done by introducing the diversity and inclusion certification process, which will serve as a starting point for the business to examine where do they stand in terms of diversity and what needs to be corrected or improved in this regard, but also as an ending point/goal in reaching the optimal conditions for securing that diversity and inclusion practices are accommodated into their everyday work, with a particular emphasis on the inclusion of marginalized groups such as women, persons with disabilities, LGBTI persons and Roma people.
Behind the Excelling in Diversity certification process are the organizations that make up the D&I coalition, which through working with various marginalized groups have gained insight into the problem they face in employment and work in general.
The Sarajevo Open Centre, a coalition-coordinating organization, has been working to advocate for the rights of LGBTI people and women for more than 10 years. SOC also promotes the human rights of LGBTI people and women publicly and advocates at the national, European, and international level for improved legislation and policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. By working on European integration issues, SOC is improving human rights in general and encouraging further development of civil society.
“It is extremely important to stop discriminating against certain groups in society when hiring, but also when staying at work. We need to strive for equality for all citizens and turn our differences into strengths. Therefore, for raising awareness, but also a step forward towards the values that the EU family of countries nurtures, domestic companies and institutions that provide equal conditions for work and employment to marginalized groups of society, just like those who are not, are crucial” says Aida Malkić, SOC program manager.
The Association of Citizens for the Promotion of Roma Education “Otaharin” was formed in early 2005 by parents of Roma students and other citizens interested in Roma education in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Working on the issue of education, they noticed that the support they provide to Roma children to facilitate their access to education is only one step on the path to the inclusion of Roma men and women of all ages. “Working with the community and constant presence in the community has resulted in a high degree of trust of the Roma community towards Otaharin, provided us with a clear insight into all obstacles and problems that Roma men and women face on the path to full social inclusion.” With this in mind, we have strategically decided to implement interventions that will be aimed at anti-Gypsyism, as the main cause of marginalization and discrimination of Roma men and women, but also the consequences of marginalization that are mostly reflected in education, housing, health care and employment of Roma and Roma women and thus for the first time in BiH established an integrative inclusion program. When asked about the importance of certification for Roma men and women, they answered: “One of the burning problems faced by Roma men and women is the low employment rate. Discrimination in the field of employment is very pronounced and is often deepened by potential employers, without existing support projects having very limited scope and results. The transition from education to labor markets for young Roma Roma women is also very difficult. The certification process will provide an opportunity to identify and highlight employers who are willing to take part in social responsibility and actively support the fair inclusion of Roma men and women, as well as other marginalized groups, in the labor market. We hope that these positive examples will serve as a beacon for others to integrate the principles of social responsibility into their business and become active participants in the promotion of diversity and inclusion.”
Foundation 787 is a non-governmental, non-profit and apolitical organization, founded in August 2014 to change and improve the position of women and youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The primary mission of the Foundation is the economic empowerment of target groups through education and mentoring, as well as providing support in the development of their entrepreneurial ideas.
Through their work with entrepreneurs, they realized that position Women in the labor market are not satisfactory.
“Inclusion and diversity are topics that, unfortunately, are just entering the labor market in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through many years of work with women entrepreneurs, we have realized that, although there is progress, the position of women in the labor market is still below the level of satisfaction. There are many challenges that members of marginalized groups face daily, which greatly limit their opportunities for progress and further development. We consider it necessary to point out these challenges and raise awareness for us as a society to start activities to address them. We are glad to be part of an initiative like this, which will initiate positive changes through its activities and contribute to both the individual and the entire BiH. society. ’’
Market Makers, a donor to the project, believe that the role and potential of the private sector are often neglected in promoting diversity.
“We believe that encouraging private companies to ensure a more receptive environment for employment and career advancement of all individuals, regardless of racial, ethnic, religious, gender or sexual orientation, as well as other identities, through the improvement of internal policies and practices, is an important complementary activity to others. projects and efforts in this domain. Understanding diversity, and the consequent promotion, protection, and active management of diversity, not only creates a better working and business environment for excluded and marginalized groups in society but also has direct benefits for companies in the form of improving HR practices and outcomes. Therefore, we are glad that together with the Sarajevo Open Center – an organization with a strong reputation and one of the leaders in the field of human rights and work with marginalized groups in BiH – we have taken the first steps towards creating solutions to promote diversity and inclusion “in” to the private sector and “through” the private sector. Certification and training and capacity building services of private companies in this field, which will be provided by SOC together with partner organizations, represent an innovation in the market and an element that was missing in previous initiatives aimed at the same goal, but also an element that will certainly affect business transformation. HR culture in the long run “, said Amar Numanović.
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]]>A representative of the Market Makers – project donor will also take part in the event, as well as friends of the project Kolektiv, Akta and Bizbook.
Five companies that have already successfully passed this process: Klika, Unija Smart Accounting, Orbico Beauty, McCann, and Sarajevo School of Science and Technology will be awarded the certificate “Excelling in Diversity”. These companies have demonstrated a commitment to equal treatment of all employees and job candidates, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, or other characteristic that places a person in a marginalized population.
During the certification process, companies and institutions will gain the necessary knowledge and expertise to introduce themselves to diversity and inclusion and ensure optimal employment conditions for people belonging to marginalized groups. Companies that receive the certificate ‘Excelling in Diversity’, in the social milieu, will be recognized as those who understand the importance and contribute to equality and respect for all categories of society, raise tolerance, offer a safe working environment, reduce stigma and cultivate a positive narrative.
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]]>“We are happy to witness today that there are companies and institutions that care about the position of marginalized groups in our society. By obtaining the certificate, they emphasize that they are our allies who can greatly influence the change of social consciousness and be leaders in ensuring full inclusion, providing equal opportunities for marginalized groups in society, just like those who are not. Today we showed the public that some are ready to turn our differences into a force that strengthens our economy” said Aida Malkić, SOC Program Manager.
The first step in the certification process is for companies and institutions to turn to the D&I coalition with the desire to reform and operate by world best practices. The methodological approach, which is designed so that all companies can participate in the process, regardless of size, sector, or level of development, prescribes the steps to certification. After a detailed analysis of the situation, interviews with management and employees of the company, the data is analyzed and a report is produced containing detailed recommendations that the company or institution needs to fulfill to successfully implement these policies and practices.
“It is always good to be the leader of changes, and when they lead to the betterment of society and the position of our citizens, the satisfaction is greater. We are glad to be recognized as a company that has woven inclusion into its business. In this way, we have enabled members of marginalized groups to be economically independent and to recognize us as those who believe that every individual can contribute to the prosperity and development of BiH society as a whole, “concludes Vesna Vlašić Jusupović, director of McCann Sarajevo.
The D&I Coalition, as well as the companies and institutions that received the ‘Excellence in Diversity’ certificate, invited others to BiH companies and institutions to apply for the certification process because by excellence in implementing standards of diversity and inclusion they can achieve the best results in their business and be recognized as leaders of social change.
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