What is Equality Act 2010?
'''The Equality Act 2010''' is an Act of [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]. Before 2010, there were many different Acts ([[Law|laws]]) and Regulations (rules) in [[Great Britain]] which protected against different kinds of [[discrimination]]. The Equality Act's goal was to put all of these laws and protections together into one law, and make it easier to understand. == What laws were put together? == All of these laws were put together to make the Equality Act: * The Equal Pay Act 1970, which said that men and women doing the same kind of work should get the same pay. It also said that men and women should be treated [[Social equality|equally]] at work * The Sex Discrimination Act 1975, which protected against discrimination because of [[sex]] or whether or not a person was married * The Race Relations Act 1976, which protected against discrimination because of [[Race (sociology)|race]], skin colour, [[nationality]], [[Ethnic group|ethnicity]], and national origin (home country) * The [[Disability Discrimination Act 1995]], which protected against discrimination because of [[disability]] * Three major laws that protected against discrimination at work because of a person's [[religion]], [[sexual orientation]], or age == What does the Equality Act say? == The Equality Act has the same goals as the four major [[European Union]] Equal Treatment Directives (laws made by the European Union that protect against discrimination). The Equality Act protects against discrimination because of: * Age * [[Gender]] (with special protections for [[Pregnancy|pregnant]] women) * [[Disability]] * Being [[transgender]] and having had [[Sexual reassignment surgery|gender reassignment surgery]] * Being [[Marriage|married]] or in a [[Same-sex marriage|civil partnership]] * [[Race]] * [[Religion]] or belief * [[Sexual orientation]] The Act says that all of these groups must be treated equally at work, when applying for jobs, and in private and public services. People with disabilities have special protections under the Act.