With the aim of creating workplaces free of exclusion and discrimination, the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECCI) and the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family presented a new educational initiative on equality and acceptance of diversity at work.
The event took place on Monday, July 7, at the “Konstantinos Michalos” Entrepreneurship Center and focused on the presentation of the Employee Awareness Program on Diversity and Anti-Discrimination Issues , which is implemented with funding from the Recovery and Resilience Fund.
The Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, Ms. Domna Michaelidou, stressed the importance of strengthening social cohesion through employment equality, underlining that this specific program is addressed to the entire society, not only to the business world. As she stated, equality, prosperity and economic growth are directly linked to the creation of open and fair work environments. The aim is for the values of diversity and inclusion to become commonplace and gradually a social asset.
Detailed information about the program was presented by the Deputy Minister of Social Cohesion, Ms. Elena Rapti, explaining that it is an educational program. distance, asynchronous training lasting 3 hours, which will be implemented from July 10 to August 31, 2025 and will address 80,000 private sector workers. Topics include gender, age, disability, racial or ethnic origin, religion, physical appearance and sexual orientation. Upon completion of the training and successful assessment, participants will receive certificate of attendance and compensation of 100 eurosMs. Rapti pointed out that the protection of human dignity and the assurance of equal opportunities at work are the foundations of a just society, while she expressed her pride in the Ministry’s contribution to the practical support of businesses and employees with knowledge and tools for respecting diversity.
An important moment of the event was the presentation of the research of the Hellenic Association of Employers and Employees (EBEA) on inclusion in the workplace in Greece. As highlighted by the First Vice President of the Hellenic Association of Employers and Employees (EBEA), Ms. Sofia Kounenaki Efraimoglou, the lack of systematic training remains one of the main factors that maintain discrimination phenomena. Specifically, 64% of the employees who participated in the survey reported that they have never attended a program related to equality , although 78% recognize the importance of such actions for improving the working environment. Ms. Efraimoglou underlined that awareness is the foundation for cultivating a culture of respect and acceptance, pointing out that when businesses offer their people the appropriate tools to understand and respect diversity, they invest in their sustainability, social cohesion and competitiveness.
For her part, the Secretary General of Equality and Human Rights, Ms. Katerina Patsoyannis, noted that equality is not enough to be institutionally guaranteed, but also requires the continuous cultivation of a culture of acceptance , through everyday practices. As she said, the goal must be twofold: on the one hand, the strengthening of the institutional framework and, on the other, the consolidation of a social conscience in favor of inclusion in all sectors – with work as a key field of intervention.
The event closed with the formulation of the main conclusions, which emphasized the need for horizontal anti-discrimination policies at the core of the work culture. The coordination was carried out by the journalist Mr. Costas Papachlimintzos.
The program is a significant step towards creating a fairer and more open work environment for all , offering private sector employees the knowledge and tools to become active agents of positive change.
Businesses are called upon to encourage the participation of their employees , contributing to a more equal and inclusive professional everyday life.
