About the Equality Act 2010
Learn about the Equality Act 2010, the nine protected characteristics and how the law protects people
Protected characteristics
The Equality Act 2010 places a duty on the council as a public sector organisation to have ‘due regard’ to equality in relation to the nine protected characteristics of:
Age
Age means a person’s age or age group. People should not be treated unfairly because they are young, older, or a certain age.
Disability
Disability means having a physical or mental condition that makes everyday life harder. People should get fair treatment and support.
Gender reassignment
Gender reassignment means someone is changing their gender, has already changed it, or plans to change it so they can live as who they really are.
Marriage and civil partnership
Marriage and civil partnership means people should not be treated unfairly because they are married or in a civil partnership.
Pregnancy and maternity
Pregnancy and maternity means people should not be treated unfairly because they are pregnant, have had a baby, or are caring for a new baby.
Race
Race means things like skin colour, nationality, or ethnic background. Everyone should be treated fairly no matter where they come from.
Religion and belief
Religion or belief means a person’s religious faith, philosophical belief, or having no belief at all.
Sex
Sex means whether someone is legally recognised as a man or a woman, and they must not be treated unfairly because of this
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation means who someone is attracted to emotionally or sexually, such as people of the same sex, a different sex, or more than one sex
Additional characteristics
Based on the data we know about Somerset, and the people who live and work here, our equality strategy also asks us to consider how the situations below may place additional challenges or barriers on someone’s ability to engage in everyday life. We call people who fall into these additional definitions our local protected characteristics.
Low income
Low income means someone does not have much money coming in, which can make it harder to pay for everyday things like food, housing, and bills.
Military status
Military status means someone is serving in the armed forces, has served in the past, or is part of a military family.
Being an unpaid carer
Being an unpaid carer means looking after a family member or friend who needs help because of illness, disability, or age, without being paid.
Being care experienced
Being care experienced means someone has lived in care at some point in their life, such as with foster carers, in residential care, or with support from social services.
Read more about the Equality Act 2010
More information about the Equality Act 2010 is available on the GOV.UK website.
GOV.UK - Equality Act 2010: guidance