Commissioner of administration issues guidelines against gender discrimination in job interviews

Maria Stylianou-Lottidou, the Commissioner for Administration and Protection of Human Rights in Cyprus, has issued an official statement emphasizing that job interviews must be conducted using objective and neutral criteria. This intervention follows complaints from female candidates regarding inquiries about their family status and motherhood. One specific case involved a candidate for a school support position at Zakaki Gymnasium, where she was asked if she had children to determine her ability to discipline students. The Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth has subsequently advised against such questions to prevent potential discrimination. A second complaint involved an incident in the private sector where a candidate was questioned about her marital status by a company director. The Commissioner stresses that such personal questions are irrelevant to job performance and may constitute unlawful gender-based bias.