CYP Now - The National Youth Agency: Young Equals campaign demonstrates that some are more equal than others

Children's charities have accused the government of failing to protect children from discrimination. The Equality Bill makes it illegal to treat people unfairly in the provision of goods, facilities and services on the basis of age - unless they are under 18.

Ministers claim the new legislation is designed to give everyone a fair chance in life. But they insist there is "little evidence" of harmful discrimination against young people and so they will be excluded from the new law.

The Young Equals, a group of charities and young people including The National Youth Agency (NYA) who are campaigning to stop age discrimination, have questioned why the government is failing to extend legal protection to under-18s.

It has brought together a wide range of examples of discrimination against children and young people including them being unfairly refused entry to public services such as libraries, leisure centres, sports facilities, museums and art galleries; ambulance services failing to take young people's calls seriously; and the installation of high-frequency mosquito devices to deter teenagers from gathering in a location.

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