It is against the law to discriminate against someone because of: 

  • age
  • disability
  • gender reassignment
  • marriage and civil partnership
  • pregnancy and maternity
  • race
  • religion or belief
  • sex
  • sexual orientation

These are called protected characteristics.

You are protected under the Equality Act 2010 from these types of discrimination.

Under the Equality Act 2010 the previously known ‘Equality strands’ have become the protected characteristics and include the following:

  • Age

Where this is referred to, it refers to a person belonging to a particular age (e.g. 32 year olds) or range of ages (e.g. 18-30 year olds)

  • Disability & Carers

A person has a disability if s/he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on that person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

  • Gender

A man or a woman. A reference to persons who share a protected characteristics is a reference to persons of the same sex.

  • Gender reassignment

The process of transitioning from one gender to another. A person has the protected characteristics of gender reassignment if the person is proposing to undergo, is undergoing or has undergone a process (or part of a process) for the purpose of reassigning the person’s sex by changing physiological or other attributes of sex.

A reference to a transsexual person is also a reference to a person who has the protected characteristics of gender reassignment.

  • Marriage & civil partnership

  • Pregnancy & maternity

Pregnancy is the condition of being pregnant or expecting a baby. Maternity refers to the period after the birth, and is linked to maternity leave in the employment context. In the non-work context, protection against maternity discrimination is for 26 weeks after giving birth, and this includes treating a woman unfavourably because she is breastfeeding.

  • Race

Refers to the protected characteristic of race. It refers to a group of people defined by their race, colour, and nationality (including citizenship) ethnic or national origins.

  • Religion and belief - including lack of belief

Religion has the meaning usually given to it but belief includes religious and philosophical beliefs including lack of belief (e.g. Atheism). Generally, a belief should affect your life choices or the way you live for it to be included in the definition.

  • Sexual Orientation

Whether a person’s sexual attraction is towards their own sex, the opposite sex or to either sexes.

There are also some useful documents on each of the characteristics on the Equality and Human Rights Commission website.