Laws and regulations
Legislation that provides protection against discrimination and harassment based on gender.
The Gender Equality Act
The Gender Equality Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender. The Gender Equality Act applies to all areas of society. The Ombud cannot enforce the Act if the case relates to entirely private matters. For instance, the Ombud cannot state whether a father is in breach of the Gender Equality Act if he refuses to stay at home with the children when they are ill.
The Gender Equality Act makes exception for internal matters of religious communities. This means, in simple terms, that discrimination on the basis of gender can be allowed if it is in accordance with the beliefs and teachings of the religious community. For instance, a Christian congregation can refuse to employ women priests, but when hiring a caretaker or a Sunday school teacher the community will have to take anti-discrimination legislation into account.
The Working Environment Act
The Working Environment Act prohibits discrimination on certain grounds in the workplace. These are political leaning, membership of worker’s union, sexual orientation, disability and age.