The Equality Act 2010 is a comprehensive piece of legislation in the United Kingdom that serves to protect individuals from discrimination and promote equal opportunities in various aspects of life, including employment, education, housing, and access to goods and services. It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws and brings together various forms of discrimination under a single, consolidated act.

Key provisions of the Equality Act 2010 include:

1. Protected Characteristics: The Act identifies nine protected characteristics that individuals must not be discriminated against based on:

   • Age
   • Disability
   • Gender reassignment
   • Marriage and civil partnership
   • Pregnancy and maternity
   • Race
   • Religion or belief
   • Sex
   • Sexual orientation
     
     

2. Types of Discrimination: The Act addresses various forms of discrimination, including direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment, and victimisation. These concepts apply to each of the protected characteristics.

3. Equality in Employment: The Act prohibits discrimination in the workplace and requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate individuals with disabilities. It also promotes equal pay for equal work and aims to close the gender pay gap.

4. Equality in Education: The Act prohibits discrimination in education, ensuring that students are not treated unfairly based on their protected characteristics.

5. Equality in Goods and Services: Businesses and service providers must not discriminate against individuals when offering goods, services, and facilities to the public.

6. Public Sector Equality Duty: Public authorities are required to actively promote equality and eliminate discrimination in their policies, decision-making, and service delivery.

7. Associative Discrimination: The Act recognizes that discrimination can occur when an individual is associated with someone who has a protected characteristic. For example, discrimination against a person who cares for a disabled family member.

8. Perception Discrimination: Discrimination can also occur based on a perception that an individual possesses a protected characteristic, even if they do not.

9. Positive Action: The Act allows for positive action measures to address underrepresentation or disadvantage faced by individuals with protected characteristics.

10. Religious Exceptions: The Act includes limited exemptions for religious organisations in certain cases, but these exemptions are subject to strict criteria.

11. Equal Pay Audits: Employers may be required to conduct gender pay audits to assess gender pay gaps and take action to address disparities.

The Equality Act 2010 is a crucial piece of legislation that aims to foster a more inclusive and equitable society in the UK by preventing discrimination and promoting equality. It provides individuals with legal protections and mechanisms to seek redress if they believe they have been discriminated against. Additionally, it places responsibilities on employers, service providers, and public authorities to actively work towards eliminating discrimination and promoting equal opportunities.