There are many grounds relating to differences between people which could cause someone to be discriminated against. It is important to be well informed about the most common grounds in order to identify situations of discrimination.
The prohibition of discrimination means that you cannot be treated differently than other people who are in a similar situation as you simply because of who you are. This does not mean that is it never possible to differentiate between people but instead that it is forbidden to do so on the basis of certain characteristics. Indeed, there are a number of grounds on the basis of which people are discriminated against most frequently. They are, therefore, called the ‘protected characteristics or grounds’, on which discrimination is prohibited. They can be found in different international human rights instruments and French legislation.
The most common grounds on which discrimination is prohibited, are sex, gender identity, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation or language. However, discrimination may also occur on many other grounds, such as a person’s political opinion or any other opinion, name, nationality, health, social origin, material status or genetic features. This list is not exhaustive. You can find all the discrimination grounds in the Criminal Code. Discrimination may also occur on several grounds at the same time.
About this section
This section of the Guide will help in better understanding the meaning of each of the most common grounds on which discrimination is prohibited.
Read more about the most common grounds of discrimination: