JANKOVIĆ Brankica
Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Serbia
Brankica Janković, a seasoned legal expert, is the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality of the Republic of Serbia. She was first elected to this position in 2015 and re-elected in 2020 by the National Assembly of Republic of Serbia.
Prior to her election, she held the position of State Secretary at the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Policy of the Republic of Serbia. Additionally, she served as the Director of the Gerontology Center Belgrade, the biggest Service Center for Elderly in the Western Balkans.
In her capacity as State Secretary she was the head of Chapter 19 Negotiations team (Social Policy and Employment) in the EU accession negotiation process, the Chair of three Governmental Councils: for Children, Elderly and People with disabilities and led several State Delegations. During the course of her career, she has organized and/or participated in several hundred conferences, and is a co-founder of the Regional Network of Equality Bodies of South – Eastern Europe and numerous other initiatives, such as WOBA. She is a mentor to young people and a guest lecturer at several programs.
Brankica Janković is a guest lecturer in the subject of Multicultural Social Work Anti-Discrimination Policies and Practices at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, and is also a guest lecturer at the Higher Security Studies of the School of National Defense of the Army of the Republic of Serbia.
She is one of the founding members of the UNESCO Network of Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Officials, a member of SECCA and EQUINET. Throughout her career, she has been honored with several awards and certificates, including the "2018 Contribution of the Year to Europe" and the OSCE "2017 Person of the Year" award.
As Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, she has been deeply committed to advancing human rights within the business sector. Through proactive advocacy, policy development, and effective oversight, she has worked to ensure that all individuals, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or background, are treated equitably in the workplace. Her focus was on promoting diversity, preventing discrimination, and fostering an inclusive business environment, while also supporting businesses in complying with equality laws and standards.