Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex. Discrimination can take many forms, including direct and indirect discrimination, as well as harassment and victimization.
Direct discrimination is when someone is treated less favorably than another person because of their race, age, sex, or other protected characteristic. For example, if an employer refuses to hire someone because of their race, this is direct discrimination. Indirect discrimination is when a policy or practice appears to be neutral but has a disproportionate impact on a particular group of people. For example, if an employer has a policy that requires employees to work full-time, this could have a disproportionate impact on women who may have childcare responsibilities.
Harassment is unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment. This could include making offensive jokes or comments, displaying offensive material, or physical or verbal abuse.
Victimization is when someone is treated unfairly because they have made or supported a complaint about discrimination. For example, if an employee is demoted or dismissed after making a complaint about discrimination, this could be considered victimization.
Discrimination is illegal in many countries and is prohibited by international human rights law. It is important to be aware of the different forms of discrimination and to take action if you experience or witness it. Everyone has the right to be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their race, age, sex, or other protected characteristic.