News

Discrimination on Grounds of Gender, Age and Marital Status

On March 2, 2016, the Public Defender addressed to the Ltd. "Elite-Service" with a recommendation to refrain from publishing statements containing discriminatory content, to conduct its activities in compliance with the principle of equality and to ensure any person to have access to job.

Ltd. "Elite Service" published a job application on the website www.myjobs.ge, in which the words used to describe sex, age and marital status were used in a discriminatory manner. The employer indicated that he needed "single" girls, "absolutely free of complexes”, between 17 and 18 years of age," for the post of a secretary.

The Public Defender believes that the job requirements are not related to the essence of the given job. In particular, both women and men, as well as those who are above 25 years of age or are married, can equally perform the duties and responsibilities of a secretary. Accordingly, the employer should have focused not on the candidate's sex, age or marital status, but on the requirements needed for a secretary and should have individually assessed each candidates’ relevance.

Such formulation of job requirements enhances the public stereotypes that some work can be done only by a person of particular sex, age or marital status; and emphasizes the fallacious view that occupation of certain position by a woman may not require relevant skills.

The Public Defender believes that the employer's job requirements limit both the male sex and the women above the age of 25 years of age, as well as married people, and thus puts them in unfavorable conditions. On the other hand, this encourages development of stereotypical attitude towards women. The mentioned discriminatory treatment does not serve any legitimate goal.

The Public Defender held that Ltd. “Elit Service” committed direct discrimination on grounds of sex, age and marital status.

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