The American Agency for International Development (USAID) and Smart Kolektiv this year for the first time awarded the Award for the most inclusive employer to companies that are focused on creating a working environment in which all employees have equal opportunities for advancement and feel included and accepted in all spheres of work . The main award for strategic approach, implemented practices, partnership and leadership went to Delhaize Serbia. IKEA Serbia received a special award for a strategic approach to the development of diversity, equality and inclusion in the working environment, while a special award for leadership and partnership went to Delta Holding. Jovana Krivokuća-Milovanović, executive director of the Youth with Disabilities Forum, presented the awards to the representatives of the winning companies.
The award for the most influential employer of the year was organized as part of the “CSR&ESG Forum – Diversity of perspectives” conference, which is held with the support of the “Job Fit: Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities” project, funded by USAID and implemented by the Youth with Disabilities Forum. Other partners in the project are Caritas of Serbia, the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, the Smart Collective and the Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities of Serbia.
The responsibility to ensure that all vulnerable groups are accepted in society lies with the actors of all sectors, but the role of companies and the business sector in this domain is invaluable, is one of the key messages of the CSR & ESG Forum, held on December 12 in Belgrade.
“We should work together to influence as many companies and institutions as possible to understand that hiring people with disabilities is not only the right move, but also beneficial for their working environment. So, I’m extremely pleased that today we’re highlighting so many forward-thinking companies and institutions that have prioritized the diversification of their workforce, as well as inclusivity. I hope that your examples will inspire everyone to follow in those footsteps”, said Todd Andrews, Acting director of the USAID mission in Serbia.
“The Forum remains a crucial event for all stakeholders interested in CSR and ESG issues in this region, and every year we strive to have a special focus. I am particularly pleased that, together with the Youth with Disabilities Forum and other partners, we are dedicated to the inclusion of persons with disabilities. Although there is still room for improvement in this important area, we now have a critical mass of companies that have placed inclusion at a very high and strategic level on their agendas, as this year’s event demonstrates,” said Neven Marinović, director of the Responsible Business Forum and Smart Kolektiv.
“In our company, which employs around 13,000 associates and operates more than 500 retail outlets with over half a million people passing through them daily, there is no dimension of diversity that is not part of our everyday life. We strive to be 100 percent inclusive, to reflect the market 100 percent, and to be 100 percent gender-balanced,” stated Marko Babić, Vice President for Human Resources and Organizational Development at Delhaize Serbia. He added that in the company, 50 percent of women are employed in managerial positions, and they engage more than 250 persons with disabilities daily. “We have created an environment where every voice is heard, where traditionally marginalized groups can participate, and where everyone can progress.”
The main session at the event, dedicated to the topic of diversity and inclusion, deepened the dialogue on the strategic approach to fostering the principles of inclusion, respect for diversity and equality, as well as their implementation in business strategies. The panel brought together representatives of different sectors who discussed this topic from different perspectives, including Jovana Krivokuća Milovanović, executive director of the Youth with Disabilities Forum, Sonja Konakov Svirčev, Manager for Social Responsibility, Diversity and Inclusion at Erste Bank, Ivana Joksimović, Assistant Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, as well as Tijana Koprivica, Director of Sustainable Business at Delta Holding.
The main session at the event, dedicated to the topic of diversity and inclusion, deepened the dialogue on the strategic approach to fostering the principles of inclusion, respect for diversity and equality, as well as their implementation in business strategies. The panel brought together representatives of different sectors who discussed this topic from different perspectives, including Jovana Krivokuća Milovanović, executive director of the Youth with Disabilities Forum, Sonja Konakov Svirčev, Manager for Social Responsibility, Diversity and Inclusion at Erste Bank, Ivana Joksimović, Assistant Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, as well as Tijana Koprivica, Director of Sustainable Business at Delta Holding.
