Logo
Logo

Archive

What are my human rights as a transgender young person?

31 July 2020
clcadmin
No comments

You have the same human rights as everyone else, but there are some human rights principles that give special protection to transgender people. These are:


• The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW): This requires governments to prohibit discrimination against women in all forms including ensuring that the rights of transgender women are fully protected.


• The Yogyakarta Principles: These are a universal guide to human rights which affirm international legal standards on binding which all States must comply with.

I think I have been treated unfairly at school/work/restaurant because I am trans. What can I do?

31 July 2020
clcadmin
No comments

Under the law in Northern Ireland, discrimination against an individual on the grounds of gender reassignment is unlawful and no-one is permitted to discriminate against anyone for being trans. This relates to all aspects of your life including employment, education, housing, retail, restaurants, use of facilities and services etc. Although the law is not directly applicable in schools, schools are expected to respect the rights of young trans people not to be treated less favourably than others.


If you feel you have been discriminated against for being trans, speak to a legal advisor confidentially on 08088085678, email ree@childrenslawcentre.org or online at REE Live Chat.

For more information and support if you are trans, non-binary or questioning, contact the Belfast Trans Resource Centre:

Contact the BTRC

Are there laws in Northern Ireland which help to protect my rights as a transgender young person?

31 July 2020
clcadmin
No comments

Some laws provide some legal protections for transgender young people e.g.:

• The Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 prohibits discrimination and harassment on the grounds of sex, pregnancy and maternity, gender reassignment, and marital or civil partnership status.


• The Sex Discrimination (Gender reassignment) Regulations (N.I.) 1999, which amended the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, make it unlawful to discriminate against someone who intends to undergo gender reassignment, is undergoing gender reassignment or has undergone gender reassignment either in the workplace or in vocational training.


This is a complicated area of law. For more information or advice speak to a legal advisor confidentially on 08088085678, email ree@childrenslawcentre.org or online at REE Live Chat.

Is discrimination ever lawful?

31 July 2020
clcadmin
No comments

In certain situations, discrimination may be considered to be lawful.

In the workplace, for example, if an employer has in place a provision, criterion, practice or policy that appears to be discriminatory, they may be able to objectively justify it if they can prove that the requirement meets a legitimate business aim and that it is a proportionate means of meeting that aim.

For example, if may not be unlawful to only employ women for a job as a counsellor in a women’s refuge as the employers would be able to argue that their clients are all women who have experienced domestic violence by men, and therefore they would probably only want to talk to another woman about it.

What is Discrimination?

31 July 2020
clcadmin
No comments

Discrimination is more than just unfairness, it is treating an individual less favourably than others because of a protected characteristic such as gender, race, age, etc.

The Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 states that it is unlawful to discriminate against any individual on account of their sex in the areas of employment, training and related matters, education, provision of goods, and facilities or services.

The Gender Reassignment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 amended the Sex Discrimination Order to make it unlawful to discriminate on grounds of gender reassignment in employment and training and the Sex Discrimination (Amendment) Regulations 2008 introduced protection from direct discrimination on grounds of gender reassignment, in the provision of goods, facilities, services or premises.

If you feel you have been discriminated against, speak to a legal advisor confidentially on 08088085678, email ree@childrenslawcentre.org or online at REE Live Chat.