In law, discrimination is any adverse treatment of a person or group of people, based on criteria laid down by law, in a situation or field defined by law.

Today, the law recognizes various criteria of discrimination. Thus, discriminating against a person on the grounds of sexual orientation, age, religious affiliation, etc. is prohibited by law, as well as by the international conventions to which France is a signatory.

 

 


The criteria of discrimination

Gender

I am a woman and, unlike my male colleagues, my career has not progressed in 15 years.

Origin

I was not hired because of my North African origins.

Pregnancy

I h been refused training by my employer ever since he found out I was pregnant.

Family situation

I was not hired because I am a mother of three children.

Physical appearance

I was refused a nursing job because of my larger body.

Bank account

I was refused a shared room because my bank account is domiciled in Reunion.

Family name

I did not get a job interview because of my foreign-sounding name.

Place of residence

My telephone operator refuses my banking details because my bank account is held in overseas French territories (see French Law on Real Equality in Overseas France).

State of health

My contract was not renewed because I was off sick.

Disability

My child was refused participation in a school outing because of their disability.

Genetic traits

I was asked to undergo genetic testing as part of my pre-employment medical examination.

Lifestyle

I could not get the job because I am a smoker.

Sexual orientation

They refused to rent us an apartment because we are a female couple.

Gender identity

A doctor refused to treat me because I am transgender.

Age

I have been refused a consumer loan because the bank thinks I am too old.

Political opinions

The town hall refuses to rent me a venue because of my political opinions.

Union activities

My career has not progressed because I am an employee representative.

Belonging or not belonging to an ethnic group, race or nation

I was refused a camping pitch because of my African origins.

Belonging or not belonging to a religion or philosophy

Access to a public institution is forbidden to me because I wear a hijab.

Loss of autonomy

My father, who is dependent, lives in a retirement home, and is neglected compared to other more autonomous people.

Economic vulnerability

As a beneficiary of the disabled adult allowance (AAH - Allocation adulte handicapé), I was not allocated this accommodation even though I had the means to pay the rent.

Ability to express oneself in a language other than French

I was refused access to this nightclub because I was overheard speaking Creole.

Victims of hazing or testified to such acts (see French Penal Code).

I was refused membership of my business school’s sports association because I did not agree to go along with the hazing ritual.

Sexual or psychological harassment (see French Labor Code).

My line manager bullies me and treats me worse than my colleagues.

Discrimination against a recognized whistleblower


My participation in a group project was cancelled after I reported a sexual assault of a classmate by another student. Find out more on this new criteria (in French)