Equality and Diversity - Building a Culture of ... - Equality Authority

other groups who are not included. They should
discuss these questions with the pair beside
them. Finally take some feedback on key points
of interest which have arisen for them.
Notes on the Grounds/Groups
Gender (Ireland) This includes transgender, as
well as male and female.
Sex (Northern Ireland): This includes
transgender, as well as male and female,
married people and pregnant women.
Race: This includes language, nationality, skin
colour and ethnicity. In Northern Ireland it
also includes Irish Travellers.
Member of the Traveller Community: This
ground was included in the Irish Equality
legislation because Travellers are not
officially recognised as an ethnic group
in Ireland. However, in Northern Ireland,
Scotland, England and Wales, Irish Travellers
are recognised as an ethnic group and are
therefore covered under the Race ground.
Political Opinion: This category was included
in the Northern Ireland legislation because
of the polarised political groups in the
jurisdiction and because of the history of
discrimination against people because of their
political affiliations. It was not felt necessary
to include it in the legislation in Ireland.
Age: Young people under 18 are not covered
under the age ground by the Irish Equal
Status Act, but are covered under all the
other grounds.
Why are some grounds or groups not
included in the legislation?
Married people were included under the Sex
ground to ensure equal pay for women, but
widowed, separated and single people are
not protected under any of the grounds in
Northern Ireland. It is not clear exactly why
groups such as ex-prisoners, for example,
are not included in legislation in either
jurisdiction, as they are known to be at risk
of suffering inequality and discrimination.
Not included under any of the grounds:
A person from a disadvantaged area, a person
who is long-term unemployed, an ex-prisoner,
plus in Northern Ireland, a divorced person, a
widowed person, a single person, a parent of a
child under 18. These people are not protected
under the equality or anti-discrimination
legislation on the basis of these facts – they
are of course protected under all the other
grounds or categories which apply to them.
Note: Section 75 of the
Northern Ireland Act
1998 includes broader
categories of people,
see page 96.
88 SECTION 14 EXPLORING EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY THE LAW