Log on to ... Discrimination
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Young people are subject to different rules than adults when it comes to issues such as pay. And despite equality laws, many teenagers still face discrimination because of their gender, faith or sexuality. Tim Burke looks at the websites offering advice.
Discrimination is good. Discrimination is a positive, desirable trait in human beings. That is being a little bit disingenuous - but look in the dictionary and you will see several definitions of the word, including "subtle appreciation in matters of taste" and "the ability to see fine distinctions and differences". Of course there is also the more widely used sense of "unfair treatment" and action based on prejudice. Some of that is illegal but, as highlighted, the word can mean subtly different things depending on how it's used.
There are sources of help that work out exactly what kind of discrimination is against the law. Since 1 October 2007, the key body tackling discrimination has been the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Its website http://www.equalityhumanrights.com offers information on individual rights and on the duties and responsibilities of employers and public authorities in each of these areas. The material is helpfully structured so that casual readers can get the broad picture while those who need to know precisely how to run the three-yearly review of their race equality scheme, for example, can quickly drill down to requirements and find useful templates and guidance documents.
Naturally, one of the key areas for young people is age discrimination. It might be a moot point whether age restrictions on what young people can or can't do amounts to discrimination. In terms of tobacco or alcohol consumption, maybe it doesn't, but in terms of curfews, it possibly does.
You may hear talk about age discrimination being outlawed but many activists feel not enough is being done for young people. Young Equals is a campaign started by an alliance of organisations seeking the kind of legislation against age discrimination found in Australia and Scandinavia. Visit http://www.crae.org.uk/protecting/age-discrimination.html for details of its campaign and the day of action held last summer. In advance of equality legislation expected this year, the campaign is pushing for a new duty on public authorities to "promote the human dignity and equal worth of all people".
Useful in this respect is information regarding at what age young people can do certain activities. Online information service Connexions Direct has some helpful pages outlining what you can do at ages from 10 to 18. There's also a video quiz around the legality of situations, with questions such as: "It's alright to have underage sex if both of you are the same age - true or false?". Visit http://www.connexions-direct.com and look in the Your Rights section.
The British Youth Council has traditionally campaigned against discrimination and for the voice and influence of young people. Its website www.byc.org.uk includes details of its current campaign for an equal minimum wage for everyone over 16.
There's been much progress towards outlawing discrimination against people on the grounds of their sexuality, not least in equalising the age of consent for sexual activity. That's not to say that everything is perfect - www.queeryouth.org.uk is one place where you can find details of continuing campaigns concerning young people including same-sex partnerships and homophobic bullying. It also has a section with message board discussions on age discrimination.
The Department of Health's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Advisory Group is helping to develop a strategy to eliminate discrimination for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in health and social care and has produced A Guide for Young Trans People in the UK.. If you are an employer, the website http://www.pinktriangletraining.co.uk includes details of training opportunities to ensure your organisation is up to date on equality legislation.
A young people-friendly site offering details on the legal position regarding all types of discrimination is www.youthinformation.com. In the Justice and Equality section, you will find plenty of detail on dealing with discrimination and a further section on legal rights - including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a potentially powerful tool for those seeking redress from discrimination.
WEB FILE
www.equalityhuman rights.com - The Equality and Human Rights Commission's website contains information about individual rights
http://www.crae.org.uk/protecting/age-discrimination.html - A campaign for legislation against age discrimination
www.connexions-direct.com - Has details about what age it is legal for young people to do certain activities
http://www.byc.org.uk - The British Youth Council's website has a campaign for an equal minimum wage
www.queeryouth.org.uk - Information for young people about same-sex partnerships
www.dh.gov.uk - A strategy to end LGBT discrimination in social care
www.pinktriangletraining.co.uk - Details of training on equality legislation
www.youthinformation.com - Provides information on the legal position regarding discrimination
