Intersectional Discrimination

'Intersectional discrimination' refers to discrimination experienced by an individual due to the combination or interaction of two or more protected grounds, such as race and gender, or disability and age. This concept recognises that individuals with multiple marginalised identities may face unique forms of discrimination that cannot be fully understood by examining each ground in isolation. The Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 proposes the explicit recognition of intersectional discrimination within the Equal Status Act, aiming to provide a more comprehensive and effective legal framework for addressing complex forms of discrimination.

Intersectional discrimination is a more nuanced form of multiple discrimination, where the interaction of several protected grounds (e.g., being a woman and belonging to an ethnic minority) creates a unique and specific form of discrimination that cannot be understood by simply adding up the discrimination based on each ground individually. It recognizes that different grounds can combine to produce distinct experiences of disadvantage.