Campaign seeks to reduce discrimination against parents at work

The non-profit Amazone, which focuses on gender equality, has launched a campaign to raise awareness of discrimination against parents at work.
 
Women in particular are discriminated against in this context, Amazone says, based on complaints filed at the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men.

“In job interviews, many employers still ask women about their plans to have children and one even asked a candidate whether she used contraceptives,” Marleen Teugels, director of Amazone, told Knack. “Employers don’t have the legal right to ask this.”

Other common complaints come from women who were dismissed during pregnancy or who were given less interesting work after they returned from maternity leave. Few women actually file a complaint, because they fear losing their job and are not sure of their rights.

The campaign, #KinderenToegelaten (Children Allowed), also targets men. According to a survey by the equality institute, 10.8% of respondents faced difficulties when they asked for their statutory 10 days of paternity leave. In 43.8% of these cases, employers used subtle threats of dismissal.

Amazone invites parents and employers to testify about their experiences on the subject on the campaign website. The testimonies will be used during discussions with organisations of employers and employees, researchers and women associations. The discussions will lead to a publication with practical tips to reduce the discrimination of parents at work.

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