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Diversity and discrimination

If you think you have been treated unfairly or have been discriminated against because of your age, gender, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or disability, there's a wide range of legislation, information and contacts to help you understand and enforce your rights.

The Equality Commission for NI

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland can advise individuals if they believe they have suffered unlawful discriminated on the grounds of:

  • age
  • disability
  • gender
  • race
  • religion or belief
  • sexual orientation

The law protects against discrimination at work on all of the above grounds. It also covers acts of discrimination in accessing services, or buying goods, or renting, buying or accessing premises on all those grounds except age.

The Equality Commission provides advice to anyone who asks for it, and that may help resolve the situation. If not, the Commission may assist you to bring a complaint of unlawful discrimination to a tribunal or a court. Of the cases the Equality Commission assist, the majority are resolved before going to a hearing. In most of the cases settled the commission has a commitment to work with the employer or service provider to improve and maintain their practices so as to ensure equality of opportunity for everyone.

For more information and advice you can contact the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland as follows:

Other useful links:

Sex and gender equality

Unlawful sex discrimination is when someone is treated unfairly because of their gender. Women, men and transsexual people can all experience sex discrimination. Sex discrimination also includes treating someone less favourably because they are married or in a civil partnership - for example, by not hiring married women.

In Northern Ireland there is a statutory obligation on public authorities to promote equality of opportunity:

If you think you have been treated unfairly because of your particular sexual orientation, you can seek advice and support from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI), and/or the Human Rights Commission for Northern Ireland (HRCNI).

The term 'sexual orientation' refers to a person’s sexual attraction towards persons of the same sex, persons of the opposite sex, or persons of the same sex and opposite sex.

The ECNI provides information and advice in relation to discrimination due to an individual's sexual orientation, or perceived orientation, or the sexual orientation of those they associate with.

Gender recognition

The Gender Recognition Act 2004 came into effect in April 2005. It gives transsexual people legal recognition in their acquired gender, subject to their successful application to the Gender Recognition Panel.

Transsexual people will be able to marry in their acquired gender when the change of gender is legally recognised. The Gender Recognition Panel has a website containing information and advice for transsexual people who wish to apply for gender recognition.

Race equality

The Race Relations (NI) Order 1997 (RRO) follows closely the provisions of the 1976 Race Relations Act in the UK. It outlaws discrimination on grounds of colour, race, nationality or ethnic or national origin. The Irish traveller community is specifically identified in the Order as a racial group, against which racial discrimination is unlawful.

The Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 was amended by the Race Relations Order (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 to implement requirements of the EU Race Directive 2003/43/EC. These amendments give people greater protection from unlawful racial discrimination and harassment on the grounds of race, ethnic or national origins.

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland has responsibility for enforcing race relations legislation and it has a specific duty to advise and assist people who feel they are being discriminated against racially.

Disability rights

The 'People with disabilities' section of nidirect provides information on rights under the Disability Discrimination Act. You will also find definitions of 'disability' and information on general rights of access to goods and services.

Age rights and discrimination

Information about age discrimination legislation is contained in the 'Employment' and the 'Pensions and retirement planning' sections of nidirect.

Since October 2006 there is legal protection against age discrimination. It is no longer lawful to discriminate on grounds of age. Treating staff fairly and recognising individuals' talents and needs is not just the right thing to do, but makes good business sense as well.

Discrimination at work

Find out about your rights to be treated fairly at work in the 'Employment' section of nidirect. There is information on what discrimination means due to age, sex, race, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation, as well as what can be done about it.

More information on fair employment and treatment in the workplace is also available from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland wesite.

More useful links