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GENDER EQUALITY PLAN (GEP)

GENDER EQUALITY PLAN (GEP)

 

Greek Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders

Edition: July 2025

1. Introduction & Vision

 

The Greek Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders is a non-profit organization providing prevention, diagnosis, care, and support services to individuals with dementia and their caregivers. It employs 85 staff members—primarily women—and recognizes the importance of gender equality as a cornerstone of a healthy, fair, and effective working environment.

 

This Gender Equality Plan aims to:

  • Ensure equal opportunities for all genders.
  • Combat stereotypes and discrimination.
  • Integrate gender perspectives into all functions and services of the organization.

 

2. Legal and Institutional Framework

 

The GEP is based on the following legal and institutional texts:

  • Law 4604/2019 on the promotion of substantive gender equality.
  • European Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025.
  • Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.

 

3. Current Status Assessment

 

Staff Composition:

  • 84.7% women – 15.3% men
  • 86.2% of caregiving/support roles are held by women
  • Administrative staff: 7 women
  • Board of Directors: 3 women, 4 men

 

Challenges:

  • Low male participation in caregiving professions.
  • Lack of standardized procedures for handling complaints.
  • Absence of systematic gender-related training.
  • Informal and unrecorded incidents of sexist behavior.

 

4. GEP Implementation Structure

 

Gender Equality Officer:

By decision of the Board of Directors of Alzheimer Hellas dated 2/7/2025, Dr. Elena Poptsi—Doctor of Psychology and Scientific Director of the Alzheimer Day Center “Agia Eleni”—is unanimously appointed as the Gender Equality Officer, responsible for coordinating and implementing the GEP.

 

Gender Equality Working Group:

By decision of the Board of Directors dated 2/7/2025, the following members are unanimously appointed to the Working Group responsible for monitoring GEP implementation:

 

  • Anastasia Apostolidou, Administrative Director of the “Agia Eleni” Alzheimer Day Center
  • Ersi Grammatikoú, Administrative Director of the “Agios Ioannis” Alzheimer Day Center
  • Elina Karathanasi, Administrative Director of the End-Stage Patient Boarding House “Panagia Glycofilousa”
  • Rania Chatziroumpi, Scientific Director of the Day Center for Dementia “Panagia Vimatárissa”

 

The group:

  • Designs and monitors actions.
  • Submits annual reports.
  • Collects feedback and proposes improvements.

 

5. Areas of Intervention & Actions

 

A. Work Culture & Work–Life Balance

Objective: To create a supportive and inclusive work environment.

The Board of Directors, in collaboration with the GEP Working Group, facilitates parental leave for all genders upon request and promotes a culture of non-discrimination.

 

B. Leadership & Decision-Making

Objective: Gender balance in leadership positions.

Actions:

  • Establish targets for significant percentage of all gender representation in committees.
  • Evaluate leadership without gender bias.

 

C. Recruitment & Career Development

Objective: Equal opportunities throughout hiring and career advancement.

Actions:

  • Draft job postings using gender-neutral language.
  • Analyze pay by gender – Annual publication of the (non-)wage gap.
  • Announce internal vacancies with objective and transparent criteria.

 

D. Gender Perspective in Services and Research

Objective: Integrate gender perspectives into care provision and scientific activity.

Actions:

  • Revise evaluation tools considering gender and age.
  • Collect gender-disaggregated data for patients and caregivers.
  • Promote research on gender differences in Alzheimer’s disease.

 

E. Sexual Harassment & Gender-Based Violence

Objective: Prevent and address all forms of violence and harassment in the workplace.

Actions:

  • Adopt a Code of Ethics and Zero Tolerance Policy.
  • Establish a confidential reporting mechanism.
  • Implement mandatory annual training on identifying and handling harassment.

 

6. Monitoring and Evaluation

Annual Gender Equality Report with indicators such as:

  • Staff distribution by gender/position
  • Participation in training activities
  • Harassment reports
  • Gender representation in leadership roles

Feedback Process: via anonymous questionnaires every 12 months