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Discrimination is unfair treatment, and even the subtlest forms can have huge impacts on women in their careers. First off, let’s get the legal stuff straight:
In Ontario, employees are protected from discrimination by the Ontario Human Rights Code (referred to as the “Code”). The Code sets out that every person in Ontario is entitled to equal rights and opportunities, and provides employees with the right to be free from discrimination (and harassment) in any aspect of their employment that is based on protected grounds.
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The protected grounds are:
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Age, ancestry, colour, race, citizenship, ethnic origin, place of origin, creed (or religion), disability, record of offenses for which a pardon has been granted, family status (which includes being in a parent-child relationship), marital status, sex (which includes pregnancy, gender identity and gender expression), and sexual orientation.
Under the Code, harassment based on a protected ground can be considered discrimination. For example, sexual harassment is a form of discrimination based on sex.
