Equality and non-discrimination
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has noted in its General Comment No. 19 that States parties are obligated to ensure that social protection measures encourage behaviour that advances equality. Thus, discrimination on the basis of race, colour, sex, age, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, physical or mental disability, health status, sexual orientation, and civil, political, social or other status, which has the intention or effect of nullifying or impairing the equal enjoyment or exercise of the right to social security is prohibited (para 29).
Social security programmes should address power imbalances and the multiple forms of discrimination that disadvantaged and vulnerable groups experience, as well as their specific needs throughout their lives: during adolescence, adulthood and old age.
In its preamble, ILO Recommendation 202 recognizes that social security is an important tool to prevent and reduce poverty, inequality, social exclusion and social insecurity; and to promote equal opportunity and gender and racial equality. It emphasizes States’ responsibility to apply the principle of equality in implementing the Recommendation (para 3d), as well as specifying the critical role of disaggregated data for the effective monitoring of the floors (paras 19 and 21). Moreover, several of the basic guarantees that national social protection floors should establish, such as basic income security for those unable to earn an income, adequate access to healthcare that is available accessible, acceptable, and adequate (para 5).
Photo credit: “Bright orange” by Kent Yoshimura (CCBY 2.0 via Flickr).
Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations. It sets out the different ways in which it’s unlawful to treat someone. Link to Act
HIV/AIDS Policy of the Public Sector of Belize
The overall purpose of this policy is to promote the health, well-being and productivity of Public Officers by developing and implementing effective HIV/AIDS sustainable prevention, care and control programs; and eliminating stigma and discrimination on the basis of real and perceived HIV status. This Policy establishes a set of guidelines to protect the health and […]
National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Policy
The Policy provides the framework for addressing the HIV/AIDS/STI/TB situation in Zambia, outlines the causes and factors that perpetuate transmissions, including the debilitating effect on the Zambian population. It also outlines the response and impact mitigation interventions that are already in place, while also stating the vision, measures, institutional and legal frameworks necessary for its […]
Equal Rights Act (No. 19)
This Act makes provisions for the enforcement of the principles enshrined in Article 29 of the Constitution of Guyana so as to secure equality for women and for matters connected therewith. Link to Act
Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act (No. 19)
Article 4.2 establishes an employee’s right to continuous employment in the event that the employee is absent from work due to taking annual, maternity or sick leave, or another type of leave. Article 8.1 states that the following reasons do not constitute good or sufficient cause for dismissal or for imposition of disciplinary action: (a) […]
Prevention of Discrimination Act, Chapter 99:09
This Act prohibits discrimination in employment, training, recruitment and membership in professional bodies, and promotes equal pay between men and women who perform work of equal value.
Ley 7.142
Promueve y garantiza la igualdad de derechos entre hombres y mujeres en los campos político, económico, social y cultural. De manera específica, establece en el art. 9 que los padres laboralmente activos tendrán derecho a los servicios de apoyo de los centros infantiles. Los de escasos recursos económicos tendrán, además, el derecho a recibir un […]
Ley 20.255
Para las mujeres la reforma significa un avance respecto de las injusticias establecidas por el sistema anterior. La creación del bono por hijo, la separación por género del seguro de invalidez y sobrevivencia y la división del saldo acumulado en la cuenta individual en caso de divorcio o nulidad incrementan la cobertura previsional y a […]
LGBTQI+ Right to Housing in the United States
The Law The United States’ Fair Housing Act (FHA) 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601–3619 Section 3604(b) states that “…it is unlawful [t]o discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection therewith, because of race, colour, religion, sex, […]
Gender-Transformative Divorce Legislation in India
Summary: Shayara Bano was married for 15 years. In 2016, her husband divorced her through talaq–e-bidat (triple talaq). This is an Islamic practice that permits men to arbitrarily and unilaterally effect instant and irrevocable divorce by pronouncing the word “talaq” (Arabic for divorce) three times at once in oral, written or, more recently, electronic form. Ms Bano […]
Romani Women’s Right to Equal Treatment in Hungary
Summary: In February 2016, a Romani woman gave birth a public hospital in Miskolc, north-eastern Hungary. During labour she cried out with pain and the midwife yelled at her “if you shout once more I will push the pillow into your face”. When the woman apologised, the doctor said to her “if you had shouted […]
Protection against Employment Discrimination in the Republic of Korea
Nature of the Case Upon consideration of a communication submitted before it, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination held the Republic of Korea accountable for multiple violations of rights under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, including the right to work, and access to an effective […]
Women’s Property and Inheritance Rights in Tanzania
Nature of the Case In views adopted under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women held the United Republic of Tanzania accountable for multiple violations of women’s rights, particularly as relates to their inheritance and property rights. Summary […]
Eliminating Discrimination and Inequalities in Access to Water and Sanitation
Patterns of marginalisation and exclusion are present all over the world, with stark and persisting inequalities in access to water and sanitation. Progress made in the water and sanitation sector does not always benefit those who are most in need of these services, in particular the poorest, people living in informal settlements and/or people marginalised […]
Public policies for equality: Towards universal social protection systems
Outcomes of the international seminar “Public Policies for Equality: Towards Universal Social Protection Systems”, which was held in Montevideo, Uruguay, on 4 and 5 December 2013. The objective of the seminar was to foster the debate on and the construction of universal social protection systems in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean; disseminate the good […]
