EQUAL TREATMENT SPECIAL REPORT 2017 SPECIAL REPORT 2017 REPORT SPECIAL • EQUAL TREATMENT TREATMENT EQUAL THE GREEK OMBUDSMAN INDEPENDENT AUTHORITY INDEPENDENT AUTHORITY INDEPENDENT OMBUDSMAN THE GREEK NATIONAL PRINTING HOUSE THE GREEK OMBUDSMAN INDEPENDENT AUTHORITY EQUAL TREATMENT SPECIAL REPORT 2017 (article 25 paragraph 8 Law 3896/2010 and article 19 paragraph 6 Law 4443/2016) EQUAL TREATMENT SPECIAL REPORT 2017 (article 25 paragraph 8 Law 3896/2010 and article 19 paragraph 6 Law 4443/2016) THE GREEK OMBUDSMAN INDEPENDENT AUTHORITY In memory of Vassilis Karydis Editor in Chief Kalliopi Lykovardi Central Editorial Board Anastasia Matana Dimitra Mytilineou Editors Christina Angeli Konstantinos Bartzeliotis Ilektra Demirou Amalia Leventi Anastasia Matana Dimitra Mytilineou Andriani Papadopoulou Eleni Stampouli Evangelos Tsakirakis Dimitris Veremis Maria Voutsinou Statistical Data Processing Dimitra Mytilineou Ilias Vouropoulos English Translation Irene Spanaki English Language Editing Andriani Papadopoulou Copy Editing Vaso Bachourou Cover Page – Art Direction SYNTHESI Graphic Arts & Printing Company The Equal Treatment Special Report 2017 was printed by the National Printing House, in 2018, and issued in 700 Greek and 300 English copies. The full version of the Report is available on the website of the Greek Ombudsman. www.synigoros.gr The Greek Ombudsman 17, Halkokondyli Str., Athens, GR-104 32 Tel. No: (+30) 213 1306 600 www.synigoros.gr ISSN: 2623-4327 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ......................................................................................................................................................7 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................9 STATISTICAL DATA .............................................................................................................................13 GENDER AND LABOR RELATIONS ..................................................................................................21 Different levels of equality protection .....................................................................................24 A. GENDER DISCRIMINATIONS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR .......................................................25 Maternity protection: The challenge of mothers’ equal treatment .........................25 Access to labor ..............................................................................................................................28 Employment status .....................................................................................................................29 Protection of men’s parental right .......................................................................................31 B. GENDER DISCRIMINATIONS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR .....................................................32 Termination of employment contracts ................................................................................33 Unfair dismissal declarations ..................................................................................................33 Conciliatory resolutions of labor disputes .........................................................................35 Accident at work during pregnancy ......................................................................................36 C. SEXUAL HARASSMENT ...............................................................................................................36 RACIAL / NATIONAL OR ETHNIC ORIGIN ...................................................................................39 Social exclusion and Roma ...............................................................................................................42 Asylum seekers and refugees .........................................................................................................46 European Union citizens ...................................................................................................................49 Greek citizens who acquired citizenship through naturalization ....................................51 RELIGIOUS OR OTHER BELIEFS........................................................................................................53 Licensing of places of worship ......................................................................................................55 Conscientious objection to military service ............................................................................57 Rights of burial of heterodox ..........................................................................................................58 Religion and registration of name ...............................................................................................59 DISABILITY OR CHRONIC DISEASE ................................................................................................61 Occupational prejudices towards specific diseases ..............................................................64 Indirect discriminations on grounds of disability or chronic disease ............................67 Positive measures as a means to promote the equal treatment principle ................68 5 The refusal to adopt reasonable accommodations measures as a violation of the equal treatment principle ............................................................................................71 TABLE The meaning of “discrimination by association” ....................................................................73 OF CONTENTS AGE ............................................................................................................................................................77 Inadequate justification of the age criterion and the absence of objective data ...............................................................................................................................79 The practical skills testing as an alternative and adequate measure to evaluate the suitability of the candidates ...................................................................80 The need to disconnect age from established stereotypes ..............................................81 FAMILY STATUS .....................................................................................................................................83 Civil partnership agreement and protection on grounds of family status..................85 Single-parent families and protection on grounds of family status .............................87 Divorced parents and protection on grounds of family status ........................................89 Family status as a ground for discrimination in the workplace .......................................90 SOCIAL STATUS ....................................................................................................................................93 Impediments to occupation on grounds of social status ...................................................96 The social status of the Roma as a ground of discrimination ..........................................96 Extreme poverty, social exclusion and Social Solidarity Income .....................................99 SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY .................................................................... 101 Sexual orientation ............................................................................................................................ 103 Gender identity and sex characteristics ................................................................................. 104 MULTIPLE DISCRIMINATION .......................................................................................................... 109 Multiple discrimination in cases of discrimination on grounds of gender ............... 112 Multiple discrimination on grounds of family status and disability ........................... 112 Widespread multiple discrimination ascertained in the private sector ..................... 113 MONITORING AND PROMOTION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUAL TREATMENT. AWARENESS AND TRAINING ACTIONS .............................................................................. 115 Targeted promotional and awareness activities .................................................................. 117 Awareness raising activities for public agencies, administrative services and civil society organizations ............................................................................................ 122 Participation in Parliamentary Committee meetings ....................................................... 126 International activities – European networking .................................................................. 126 Conferences – Meetings ................................................................................................................. 127 Publications ........................................................................................................................................ 128 ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................................ 129 6 EQUAL TREATMENT SPECIAL REPORT 2017 PREFACE This report is essentially the first comprehensive presentation of the Greek Ombudsman’s activity, as the national body of promoting equal treatment. In the end of 2016, the mandate of the Independent Authority was expanded by Law 4443/2016. The amplification of the