Legal developments
Act 4808/2021 introduces some innovative provisions on family-related leaves
The scope of this Bill is to ensure fulfilment of Malta’s obligations in terms of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the United Nations Principles relating to the Status of National Institutions (the Paris Principles)
Equal pay between female and male dominated professions
Transposition of Directive on work-life balance
The scope of this Bill is to make provision for the possibility of civil action based on claims alleging discrimination on the basis of disability in respect of the rights protected by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and to provide for further implementation of the said Convention
An independent Member of Parliament (MP) tabled a private members’ bill proposing the decriminalisation of abortion, a crime which carries up to three years’ imprisonment in Malta
Avoiding reinforcing gender inequalities in the implementation of the recovery plan
Sexual harassment in employment
Ratification of Istanbul Convention
Equality
Act 4800/2021 on mandatory shared custody for all children in breach of the Istanbul Convention, EU law and international treaties
Act 4808/2021, sanctioning ILO Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment creates inconsistencies with EU law on sexual harassment and harassment related to sex and the other grounds of discrimination at work
On 3 May 2021, the Labour Court of Brussels ruled that the refusal to hire a woman wearing the headscarf constitutes direct discrimination on the ground of religion or belief and indirect discrimination on the ground of gender
Domestic Abuse
The introduction of provisions under which a pharmacist and a pharmaceutical technician may refuse to provide a pharmaceutical service if its performance is potentially endangering to the life or health of the patient or others, may lead to further restrictions on access to contraceptives for women
Discriminatory dismissal of a pregnant worker
Paid parental leave
Decision by the Equality Body on the policy of Eindhoven University of Technology to appoint more women in academic positions
Anti-Roma Hate Speech
New legislation concerning gender equality
Right to non-discrimination in the digital environment
Adoption of amendments to the LPD which expands the scope of its application
Anti-Roma Hate Speech
Comparison in equal pay claims
Anti-Semitic Hate Speech
Gender discrimination and professional sports
Economic support for families
Age discrimination and admission to music events
In November 2012, the Liechtenstein Parliament requested a review on how the professional integration of persons with disabilities in Liechtenstein’s labour market can be improved by the government. In May 2021, the Parliament received the postulate response explaining why the introduction of a Disability Employment Act would not bring any added value
Denial of tort compensation for unjustified loss of a social service
Restriction on the dress code of a saleswoman in a women’s fashion chain store
Electricity company refused to provide a deaf person with a written offer
Right of women to dignified birth giving free of violence
Conflicts between an employee using a guide dog and employees being allergic to dogs
ECtHR confirms the existence of direct sex discrimination concerning the practice of insurance verifications of employment contracts entered into by pregnant women which are considered fictitious by the Croatian Health Insurance Fund
Amendment of Labour Code allows dismissal of the employees who attain age 65 and pensionable age
Amendments to the Criminal Act concerning the prosecution of the criminal offence of sexual harassment
Implementation of policies and measures on the prevention of discrimination and social exclusion of Roma minority
The Constitutional Court annulled the provision of the Registry Act that the new rules (from came i2020) shall be applied to ongoing legal gender recognition proceedings as well
Job advertisements on Facebook only shown on certain Facebook profiles
Harassment and sexual harassment
On 18 November 2020, a Labour Court in Madrid ruled that a company had discriminated against 5 of its employees for dismissing them because they were over 50 years old
Parental leaves, child care services, gender equality
On 15 March 2021, the Constitutional Court analysed whether the Public Administration violated the right of one of its employees with Asperger syndrome to non-discrimination on grounds of disability. The claimant was penalised by the employer without taking his circumstances and request for reasonable adjustments at the workplace into account
Council of State does not find minimum athletic requirements common for male and female candidates for the Police Schools to be indirectly discriminatory against female candidates
Exclusion of female cleaners from the possibility to be transferred to another branch of a private bank resulted in the termination of their employment contract
Employment of people with disability in the public sector
A survivor’s pension granted to unmarried daughters of deceased civil servants under more favourable conditions than those provided for unmarried sons
In response to the Greek #MeToo movement, the City of Athens unanimously adopted an action programme on the prevention and elimination of sexual harassment, including a public commitment to zero-tolerance
On 25 January 2021, the Constitutional Court resolved an appeal filed by a Roma woman who considered she had been discriminated against on grounds of ethnicity due to the fact she had been denied a widow’s pension on the death of her husband
