Through Sustainable Development Goal 5 – Gender Equality, Romania, alongside other countries, private entities, and civil society, has committed to eliminating inequalities, discrimination, and all forms of violence against girls and women by 2030. However, the reality is that our country is still far from achieving this goal. In 2022, Romania again ranked at the bottom of the gender equality index, holding the 26th position out of the 27 European Union countries. Women and girls in Romania face daily inequalities in the workplace, in public or private spaces, in the media, or in politics.

In the workplace context, we are talking about unequal power and control relations, which take various forms, from harassment and sexual, psychological, or online violence to physical violence against female employees. However, gender discrimination and violence can also affect men. Over four in ten Romanian employees have felt sexually harassed in the workplace at least once during their careers, with a large majority being women.

Eliminating harassment and violence in the workplace is essential for achieving gender equality. According to national legislation on equal opportunities, employers have not only a legal obligation to prevent and combat harassment and violence but also the responsibility to create a work environment where the mental and physical health, security, and dignity of employees take precedence, and any form of harassment is appropriately sanctioned.

By attending this webinar, you will learn about:

  • Definition of Workplace Harassment: Workplace harassment includes any behavior based on discrimination (e.g., race, gender, nationality) that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment. It covers sexual harassment and moral harassment (mobbing);

  • Forms of Harassment and Gender-Based Violence: Harassment can manifest in various forms, including physical, psychological, economic, sexual, and online harassment, Gender-based violence encompasses physical, psychological, economic, and domestic forms, often targeting individuals based on gender;

  • Legal Framework and Employer Responsibility: Employers are legally required to ensure a safe work environment free from harassment and discrimination, with clear policies for reporting and addressing issues, Key responsibilities include implementing internal policies, training staff, and establishing reporting procedures to address harassment claims effectively;

  • Impact on Victims and Organizations: Victims of harassment often suffer from psychological and physical health issues, affecting motivation, social interactions, and work performance, Organizations face productivity losses, increased legal and reputational costs, and high staff turnover;

  • Steps for Prevention and Support: Essential steps include management commitment, policy development, staff training, monitoring, and support for victims (e.g., flexible work options for domestic violence survivors);

About the guest speakers

Camelia Proca is the founder of the Association for Freedom and Gender Equality – A.L.E.G., an NGO active since 2004 in promoting gender equality and providing specialized services to victims of violence. Camelia trained in women's rights at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights in Sweden and was part of the board of the European network WAVE – Women Against Violence Europe.

Together with the A.L.E.G. team, Camelia laid the foundation for an innovative approach in combating domestic violence, involving survivors of violence, with expert guidance, in supporting other women. The A.L.E.G. team also replicated this peer-to-peer support model in the Republic of Moldova, with the support of UN Women and local organizations.
Bianca Drotleff works with the Association for Freedom and Gender Equality as a project manager for the advocacy campaign "Employers for Respect," which focuses on combating workplace harassment and ratifying the International Labour Organization Convention on eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work. In parallel, Bianca works at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership in the UK, researching sustainable business practices and being involved in the organizational transformation of the world’s largest corporations towards a green and inclusive economy. Bianca holds a Master's degree in Environment and Development from the University of Leeds (UK) and a Bachelor's degree in International Business and Management from the University of Bradford (UK).
Dana Dunel-Stancu is a lawyer, a member of the Bucharest Bar, and a graduate of gender and minority political studies. She is an expert in equal opportunities and treatment and a trainer for companies and organizations on topics related to the implementation, application, and reporting of policies and plans to prevent and combat discrimination and harassment. Dana is actively involved in ensuring ethical, fair, and inclusive working conditions. Additionally, with over 20 years of experience as a lawyer specialized in energy and natural resource issues, Dana supports Biris Goran clients in achieving their ESG investment, operational, and organizational goals.

Devino membru

SustainAbility School este un program de educație dedicat exclusiv angajaților din organizațiile membre ale Ambasadei Sustenabilității în România prin programul Coaliția România Sustenabilă.

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Dacă angajatorul tău nu s-a implicat încă, dar vrei să participi la edițiile viitoare și să ai acces la edițiile trecute, cere decidenților din organizația ta să devină membru.