During 2012, the Office of the Ombud implemented a project named “Equally Diverse”. financed through the Community Programme Progress. Project was implemented in partnership between the Croatian Employment Service, Office for Human Rights and the Rights of National Minorities and the Office of the Ombud. Planned project budget was 194.846,00 euro.
Main project aims were to strengthen the capacities of key actors in the labour market regarding fight against discrimination, develop and promote good antidiscrimination practices among the employers and raise awareness on the issues of antidiscrimination and diversity. Activities focused on the wider implementation of national antidiscrimination legal framework and promoting equality involved the employers as well as the wider public. Target groups also encompassed regional civil society organizations involved in fighting discrimination as well as the regional labour market stakeholders.
Project had 3 groups of activities:
1. Component 1: Strengthening labour market stakeholders for more efficient inclusion and implementation of antidiscrimination principles
This component consisted of establishing a network of anti-discrimination contact points on regional level. For the purpose of that the Public call was issued on the basis of which 5 nongovernmental organizations have been chosen as regional antidiscrimination contact points of the Ombud. These NGOs were presented to the regional labour market stakeholders as contact points via round tables. Representatives from the contact points were educated as trainers for antidiscrimination as well.
2. Antidiscrimination and diversity consulting for employers
Within the second component direct assistance in developing antidiscrimination tools concerning human resources policies, was provided to 10 selected employers. Trainers educated in the first component participated in trainings that also were held for the employers.
Best practice brochure was developed within this component as well which contain good practices concerning promoting equality and diversity in the working place.
3. National Antidiscrimination Campaign
Antidiscrimination campaign encompassed different activities directed towards employers and towards the general public as well, i.e. preparing and distributing promotional materials via different communication channels and organizing the Diversity Day. Project outputs and achieved result were presented on the Diversity day and a film was broadcasted within the Human Rights Film Festival held in Zagreb.
