A campaign group co-ordinated by Children's Rights Alliance for England (Crae) is calling for the bill to protect children from less favorable treatment based on age in the provision of goods, facilities and services.
Members of the group called Young Equals include Action for Children, the British Youth Council, The Children's Society, Families Need Fathers, Liberty, National Children's Bureau, the NSPCC, National Youth Agency, Save the Children UK and the office of the Children's Commissioner for England
Last week, CYP Now reported that Crae's director Mike Lindsay was urging the government, through the Equality Bill, to make it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the grounds of their care status.
A report outlining Young Equals' aims states: "The Equality Bill announced in last year's Queen's speech will ‘promote equality and fight discrimination.' This will include significant extension of protection against age discrimination.
"However, under the government's current proposals this new protection will only be available to those aged 18 and above. Failing to address age discrimination against children in this bill would be a missed opportunity to address unfair treatment in a range of contexts affecting the daily lives of children of all ages."
The report looks at how children are discriminated against in healthcare, child protection, access to justice, public leisure facilities, shops and restaurants, and public transport.
The Equality Bill is due to be published on Tuesday.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
