Protected characteristics
The Equality Act 2010 replaced the previous equality strands with a number of protected characteristics. These characteristics are fundamental aspects of a persons life or background, and the Equality Act makes it unlawful for someone to be discriminated against because of one of these characteristics.
The protected characteristics apply equally to everyone; we all have a race or a sexual orientation, and the purpose of the Equality Act is to ensure that no one is treated less favourably because they have a characteristic that is different from someone else.
As a public body, sportscotland is committed to meeting its duties under the Equality Act, but also to provide support and guidance to all those working in sport. The following pages give some further information on the definitions of each characteristic, the broader picture, sport and sports participation, as well as some links to additional resources and helpful organisations.