Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation on the basis of their 'protected characteristics', which are:

• age
• race
• disability
• sex
• gender reassignment
• sexual orientation
• religion or belief (or lack of religion or belief)
• pregnancy and maternity
• marriage or civil partnership

The act replaced 9 pieces of equality legislation, including the:

• Sex Discrimination Act 1975
• Race Relations Act 1976
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Find out more about the Equality Act 2010.

Page last updated: 15 April 2026