Grounds of discrimination

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 worse than other people simply because of who you are. 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 Latvian legislation. 

The most common grounds on which discrimination is prohibited, are gender, 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, social origin, material status or genetic features. This list is not exhaustive. 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.

Human Rights Guide

A European platform for human rights education