Age and sex discrimination

The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the basis of their age or sex. The act defines age as a person belonging to a particular age (eg 32 year olds) or range of ages (eg 18-30 year olds).

We are committed to promoting equality among people of all ages and valuing the contribution made by all citizens.

 

Examples of age discrimination

The following findings from the European Social Survey provide an illustration.

  • over 60% of UK respondents felt that age discrimination was a very or quite serious problem
  • nearly a third said they had experienced discrimination because of their age
  • over 40% said they had been treated with a lack of respect, eg insulted or patronised, and over 20% said they had been insulted or abused because of their age
  • some 63.5% aged 15-25 said they had experienced unfair treatment because of their age. This fell to 16.2% aged 75+
  • people in their 40s were thought to have the highest status, with people in their 20s and 70s believed to have lower status levels
  • UK respondents thought it would be more acceptable to appoint a qualified 30-year-old as a boss than a qualified 70-year-old

Further information and support

Sex

It is unlawful to discriminate against someone because they are a man or a woman. The Council is committed to promoting gender equality and valuing the contribution made by male and female citizens.

Examples of sex discrimination

The following statistics provide an illustration:

  • women tend to experience greater levels of domestic violence. On average two women a week are killed by a violent partner or ex-partner in England and Wales, according to figures issued by the Home Office in 2015
  • women tend to be paid less than men, earning 17% less than their male counterparts nationally. In Hackney, average weekly full time earnings are £613 for men and £592 for women, according to Government figures
  • women tend to be less well represented in public life. 1 in 4 MPs are women; in Hackney 23 of the 58 elected councillors are women. According to a report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2011, it will be around 70 years before we see an equal number of male and female directors of FTSE 100 companies
  • in 2015, 62% of girls in England obtained 5 or more GCSE’s grade A*-C compared with 49% of boys. In Hackney this was 6% of girls and 5% of boys according to figures from the Department for Education

Further information and support

Page updated on: 27 July 2022