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REDP is made up of 25 organisations representing all protected characteristics, working to agreed terms of reference.
The Equality Act 2010 lists nine separate protected characteristics employees may have, which are as follows.
- 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: 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 Reassignment: The process of transitioning from one gender to another.
- Marriage and Civil Partnership: Marriage is defined as a 'union between a man and a woman'. Same-sex couples can have their relationships legally recognised as 'civil partnerships'. Civil partners must be treated the same as married couples on a wide range of legal matters.
- Pregnancy and 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 or 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.
- Gender: A man or a woman.
- Sexual Orientation: Whether a person's sexual attraction is towards their own sex, the opposite sex or to both sexes.
You can see a more in-depth definition of these protective chartacteristics on the Office of Public Sector Information website.
Source: Equality and Human Rights Commission
Archived news stories relating to the specific characteristics can be found below.