2023-09-07 11:36:05
In terms of the arrangements offered in the face of this situation, Travailpour.be recommended that she take the examination with her baby at all costs, three days following delivery, allowing her to breastfeed her… Alice having left the maternity ward on June 26, she might not participate in the tests, and was therefore eliminated.
When she explained that the accommodations offered were not suitable, Travailpour.be replied that she might not offer other accommodations, nor change the date of the tests: “This decision aims to guarantee unfailing equality of opportunity between all candidates and to preserve the confidentiality of the tests. It is essential to specify that this policy is rigorously applied the principles of fairness and equal treatment for all candidates, without distinction of personal situation.“
To GrenadesEtienne Devaux, diversity and inclusion manager at the FPS Strategy & Support, on which Travailpour.be depends (the organization is responsible for recruitment for many jobs in the public service), indicates: “We regret Alice’s situation, which is exceptional and not representative of the whole of our efforts in favor of gender equality, which is important to us. This situation is due to the fact that the diplomatic competition provides for a single date for its tests. Legally, we must comply with it and the accommodations we can offer are limited. In other competitions, we try as much as possible to be more flexible on the dates. Personally, I think that the SFP Foreign Affairs might provide more flexibility in the organization of this competition. This is a very demanding competition, the candidates are tested on a large number of subjects, which explains why it takes so long, which was a problem in this case.“
Contacted by The eveningthe Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifies that it “It is not possible to consider individual journeys for all candidates who cannot participate in these tests, whether due to circumstances such as childbirth, illness, accident, or force majeure“. In a written response sent to Alice who was worried regarding the accommodations offered to her, Minister Hadja Lahbib (MR) had suggested to her “to consider all possible options to participate in this competition or in a future competition when the conditions are more favorable to the balance between his personal and professional life.”
This decision aims to guarantee unfailing equality of opportunity between all candidates.
Before the parliamentary recess, MP Séverine de Laveleye (Ecolo) questioned the Secretary of State for Gender Equality Marie-Colline Leroy (Ecolo) on this subject. She replied that she had asked her colleagues concerned (Petra De Sutter (Groen), Minister of the Public Service, and Hadja Lahbib) to “address the problematic situation in question and consider solutions together. […] The situation described is in itself challenging and, in general, it seems to me fundamental to allow the conditions for optimal accessibility to public service competitions, for all. The mentioned meeting is to be held shortly.“
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