Discrimination Series - Gender and Sexuality
The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination based on, among other characteristics, their sexuality and gender. Though these are distinct aspects of a person, for the purpose of breaking down the law in this area we would like a short article explaining in lay terms the meaning of the anti-discrimination protections afforded to people with these characteristics.
The article should, as a guide, explain the following:
The definitions of sexual orientation and gender as found in the Equality Act ss11-12, taking care to break the definition down into understandable terms.
The effect of being a protected characteristic under the Act – what protection does this afford, in what circumstances does it apply and on whom does it place a duty?
The effect, if any, of the protection against combined discrimination in s14 and what discrimination of this sort might look like in relation to the two characteristics in question.
An example of what direct and indirect discrimination would look like in relation to both characteristics, working this into a relevant case study on each where appropriate. To explain this, brief and simple definitions of each type of discrimination will be needed.
Remedies if the reader feels that they have suffered a breach of their rights under the Equality Act
The Equality Act also deals with gender reassignment but please focus on the above two characteristics only for the purpose of this article.
It’s important to bear in mind that we want our readers to come away being able to know when their rights under the Equality Act have been breached and feel confident and knowledgeable about how to do something about it.
The article should be 500 - 750 words and should be an accessible explanation of the issue, in simple terms to engage 16-18-year-olds without a legal background.
NOTE: We have found that it is essential for articles of this kind to be written with limited legal terms, and to be clearly defined when they are used, to make them as accessible as possible. We would ask, therefore, to limit complex legal jargon to ensure that the article is easily digestible by the targeted audience.
Remember - The law can be scary, at Leducate we hope to make it as accessible as possible!
Be sure to let us know if you are interested in writing this article below.