Discrimination strikes at the very heart of being human. Discrimination is harmful and perpetuates inequality. We all have the right to be treated equally, regardless of our race, ethnicity, nationality, class, caste, religion, belief, sex, gender, language, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, age, health or other status. Discrimination occurs when a person is unable to enjoy his or her human rights or other legal rights on an equal basis with others because of an unjustified distinction made in policy, law or treatment. Working with communities across the world, we challenge discriminatory laws and practices to ensure all people can enjoy their rights on an equal basis. Direct discrimination is when an explicit distinction is made between groups of people that results in individuals from some groups being less able than others to exercise their rights. For example, a law that requires women, and not men, to provide proof of a certain level of education as a prerequisite for voting would constitute direct discrimination on the grounds of sex. Indirect discrimination is when a law, policy, or practice is presented in neutral terms that is, no explicit distinctions are made but it disproportionately disadvantages a specific group or groups. For example, a law that requires everyone to provide proof of a certain level of education as a prerequisite for voting has an indirectly discriminatory effect on any group that is less likely to have achieved that level of education such as disadvantaged ethnic groups or women. Intersectional discrimination is when several forms of discrimination combine to leave a particular group or groups at an even greater disadvantage.
Read more “‘Least Desirable’? How Racial Discrimination Plays Out In Online Dating”