The Ombudsperson for Gender Equality can:
- receive complaints from any natural persons or legal entities regarding discrimination in the area of gender equality
- provide assistance to natural and legal persons who filed a complaint of sexual discrimination when instituting legal proceedings
- take steps to investigate individual complaints prior to the legal proceedings
- conduct, with the consent of the parties involved, a mediation process with a possibility to reach an out-of court settlement
- collect and analysing statistical data on cases of sexual discrimination
- conduct independent surveys concerning discrimination, publish independent reports and exchange available information with corresponding European bodies
The Ombudsperson for Gender Equality cannot:
- revoke or change decisions of courts or state institutions
- examine the evidence in court cases
- punish state officials or private individuals
- give you compensation for a violation of your human rights
- provide legal advice not related to your human rights
- write applications to courts or state institutions or write other legal documents for you
- represent you in the European Court of Human Rights or other international body
If, in the course of performing their duties, the Ombudsperson becomes aware of a violation of the provisions of the Act on Gender Equality with features of a criminal offense, the Ombudsperson will file a report with the competent state attorney's office. If the Ombudsperson assesses that the principle of gender equality has been violated, the Ombudsperson has the right to submit a proposal to start the procedure for evaluating the constitutionality of the law, that is, the constitutionality and legality of other regulations.