Discrimination facts for kids
Discrimination is when someone is treated unfairly or differently. Discrimination against is when a person is treated unfairly or badly because the person is one of a particular group. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that all persons must be protected any kind of discriminations, or even its inciting.
A person might be discriminated against because of their race, age, sex, politics, gender identity, religion, the way they look, a past criminal record, the person's lifestyle, their choice of clothing, their age or their disabilities whether they are a member of or fit in with a social clique (group), social class, social status or caste, and many other reasons.
Discrimination against can take many forms. It can include being fired from a job, not being able to be hired for a job, being paid less money than others at the same job, being refused a home or apartment, teasing, harassment, or simply being treated differently than other people. Laws known as "equal opportunity legisation" protect people from discrimination. They say people should be employed whatever their race, age, sex or religion. There should be reasonable care for people with disabilities or accessibility. Two people in the same position must be paid the same wage if they have do exactly the same job.
In some countries, discrimination against somebody on the basis of race, sex, or religion is illegal for jobs or housing. Even in those countries where discrimination unlawful, it still takes place for reasons not covered by the law. In some other countries, discrimination against somebody is legal or even official government policy. This especially takes place in countries in which there is an official religion, and people of other religions are discriminated against. Discrimination is also widespread in countries which have a culture in which castes or social classes are widely recognized.
Related pages
- Ableism
- Ageism
- Antisemitism
- Homophobia - Transphobia
- Persecution
- Prejudice
- Racism
- Sexism
- Social stigma
- Speciesism
- Human rights
Images for kids
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An African-American man drinking from a racially segregated water cooler marked "Colored", in Oklahoma City c. 1939.
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Anti-Arab sign in Pattaya Beach, Thailand
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German warning in German-occupied Poland 1939 – "No entrance for Poles!"
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Antisemitic graffiti in Lithuania. The words read Juden raus (German for Jews out) and Hasse (presumably a misspelling of Hass, German for hate)
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An African-American child at a segregated drinking fountain on a courthouse lawn, North Carolina, US 1938.
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In the 1990s, Bhutan expelled its Hindu population or forced it to leave the country in order to preserve Bhutan's Buddhist culture and identity.
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Students protesting against racial quotas in Brazil: "Quer uma vaga? Passe no vestibular!" ("Do you want a spot? Pass the entrance exam!")
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An anti-discrimination education workshop at the Auschwitz Jewish Center, Poland, 2019
See also
In Spanish: Discriminación para niños
