To provide students with a deeper understanding of discrimination and real-life experiences, particularly in the context of work and employment, Deputy Ombudswoman Dijana Kesonja delivered a lecture to students of the Faculty of Law, University of Rijeka, on 15 May 2024, as part of the Labour and Social Law course.
Deputy Kesonja explained the competences and procedures of the Ombudswoman’s Office as the central institution responsible for combating discrimination—one of five core mandates of the institution. She also briefly introduced the other mandates and presented findings from the most recent survey on the prevalence and recognition of discrimination in Croatian society, conducted in 2022.
Since the principles of equality and non-discrimination are central to any human rights protection system, students learned what constitutes discrimination, how it is defined under the Anti-Discrimination Act, and the various forms it can take. The lecture covered the grounds for discrimination recognized by national law, with concrete examples, and explored how prejudice and stereotypes contribute to discrimination and, in some cases, to hate crimes. She also addressed whether every instance of injustice qualifies as discrimination, and gave an overview of anti-discrimination law and the available protection mechanisms, drawing from real cases handled by the Ombudswoman’s Office and court jurisprudence.