The Department of Social Inclusion, Youth, Families, and Equality, through the Andalusian Women’s Institute (IAM), activated the legal advice and procedural defense service for women facing gender discrimination in the workplace or sexual harassment last June. This program, with a funding of 300,000 euros, was initiated following the publication of the grant resolution. The beneficiary trade unions are CCOO-Andalucía, UGT-Andalucía, and the Union Sindical Obrera de Andalucía.
The objective of this program is to provide information, advice, support, and intervention in defense, including legal proceedings, for women’s rights. It has a duration of 12 months and can be accessed through the women’s information hotline (900 200 999), the Provincial Women’s Centers, one in each Andalusian capital, and the Municipal Women’s Information Centers (CMIM), of which there are 180 in Andalusia.
Loles López, the Minister of Social Inclusion, Youth, Families, and Equality, emphasized that the implementation of this service «helps address the different discriminations that women still face and promotes equal opportunities.» She highlighted that «this free resource assists Andalusian women with issues related to motherhood, work-life balance, wage disparities, and cases of sexual harassment.» She further stated that «one of the main objectives of the Andalusian government is to address the inequalities and barriers that women still encounter, especially in the workplace.»
López also mentioned that «the Andalusian Women’s Institute offers a range of resources and specialized programs aimed at businesses to develop equality plans, protocols against sexual harassment, and measures for work-life balance, as well as providing support to women to progress towards real equality.»
In the previous call, this service handled a total of 1,772 consultations in Andalusia. Most of these consultations were related to rights concerning work-life balance and paid leave, such as schedule adjustments, reduced hours, caregiving leaves, and breastfeeding breaks, among others. Other common inquiries included issues around dismissal before or after childbirth, followed by queries about sexual and moral harassment, violations of the rights of women victims of gender-based violence, and wage discrimination, among others. These consultations led to the opening of 423 cases, of which 60% were taken to court.
The Andalusian Women’s Institute’s program covers discrimination in employment access, whether in selection processes or hiring, in maintaining a job due to gender, wage discrimination based on differences in pay categories, professional classifications, and bonuses, among others. It also addresses discrimination in promotions and subjective criteria for advancement, related to maternity issues, work-life balance, family and personal life conciliation (dismissal, modification of substantial work conditions, violation of fundamental rights, reduced hours, leaves, or breastfeeding).
Additionally, it intervenes in cases of sexual harassment, moral harassment due to gender, labor rights of victims of gender-based violence, women in feminized and precarious sectors, as well as violations of any other women’s rights that result in gender discrimination in the workplace.
