March 12, 2025.
On 12 March 2025 the final conference of the multinational EU project titled “TEAMWORK#2: combaT sExuAlharassMent in the WORKplace vol_2” was held in Milan. The Gender Equality Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia has supported this important, multinational, and long-term project, which was implemented in two phases. Croatia joined the second implementation phase, which began in the first half of 2023.
At the final conference, it was reiterated that the project represents a continuation of the previously completed first phase, titled TeamWork1, which included Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Italy, and Belgium. During the second phase, Croatia and Cyprus joined the initiative. It was emphasized that TeamWork2 brought together a total of thirteen partner organizations from the seven mentioned EU member states. All partners worked in close cooperation and frequently exchanged experiences with the aim of improving the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace and raising awareness among companies on establishing measures, sanctions, and protocols for more effective prevention, victim protection, and prosecution of perpetrators in their respective countries. Additionally, the project fostered networking and collaboration among its participants – including private employers as well as public, governmental, professional, and educational institutions – to promote the exchange of best practices and experiences.
Through this methodology, and depending on the specific national contexts and implementation partners, the project contributed to:
a) Improving prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace, by building the capacities of professionals and employers to create and enhance internal legal frameworks for prevention, victim protection, and prosecution of perpetrators, while also raising awareness on the issue;
b) Strengthening cooperation and networking, through education, data collection mechanisms, and collaboration agreements;
c) Enhancing protection for survivors of gender-based violence in the workplace, by offering specialized services and transparent mechanisms for reporting and addressing such incidents – such as the establishment of 'HELPDESK' reporting and advisory services.
Finally, during the conference, all key results achieved within the project were presented: from the establishment of Helpdesk services, e-learning modules, and the online platform for human resources professionals, to guidelines and training programs for capacity building of managers, HR staff, department/team leaders and senior leadership. Numerous trainings were also delivered to private employers, organizations, and public, governmental, and educational institutions, focusing on combating sexual harassment and building internal policies and legal frameworks for preventing violence, protecting victims, and punishing perpetrators.
In conclusion, it was highlighted that one of the final remaining project activities includes the organization of national roundtables focused on policy and legislative development to improve systems for combating sexual harassment and violence in the workplace. For Croatia, the national roundtable is scheduled for the end of March 2025.
In addition to the links provided in this announcement, the results of the project can also be accessed via the official project website at the following link: