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Discrimination

Discrimination is treatment or consideration of a person based on a category to which the person is perceived to belong. These include age, race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, disability and ethnicity.

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All Content on this topic

Global US | Explainer Inklusion

Global US | Explainer Inklusion

A society for all: What does inclusion really mean?

No matter how different we are, we all have equal rights. But how do we create a truly inclusive society?

DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Inclusion: When different is normal — Global Us

Inclusion means equal opportunities for all, regardless of gender, race, or disabilities. But it's still not the norm.

Jacek Dehnel, seated and smiling, in front of a table with books. He has glasses and a neat white beard; he is wearing a smart three-piece suit in a brown check, with a brown patterned tie.

Jacek Dehnel, seated and smiling, in front of a table with books. He has glasses and a neat white beard; he is wearing a smart three-piece suit in a brown check, with a brown patterned tie.

Why Polish author Jacek Dehnel feels he can return home

Polish writer Jacek Dehnel always hoped to return to a "better Poland," now the "PiS refugee" believes it's time.

A Russian "STOP HIV/AIDS" badge

A Russian "STOP HIV/AIDS" badge

People living with HIV still face discrimination

Many HIV-positive people are stigmatized and face discrimination in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

DW Projekt Zukunft Sendungslogo Englisch (Tomorrow Today)

DW Projekt Zukunft Sendungslogo Englisch (Tomorrow Today)

Tomorrow Today — The Science Show

Gender pay gaps, exploitation of ‘others’ and racism, biopiracy — social inequality contributes to many problems.

Alexandra Colmenares, wearing a pink jacket, walks done a busy street in Bogota, Colombia.

Alexandra Colmenares, wearing a pink jacket, walks done a busy street in Bogota, Colombia.

Colombia: Trans sex workers in Bogota navigate harsh reality

Poverty, violence and murder are among the threats facing Bogota's trans community. DW speaks to Alexandra Colmenares.

DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Trans women in Colombia face constant danger — Global Us

The bitter reality of trans women in Colombia. “Pussy Riot” exhibits in Munich. New Zealand sheep farming under threat.

DW Podcast | Science Unscripted

DW Podcast | Science Unscripted

A poo test for discrimination?

Ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, age all discrimination is harmful. And it changes the bacteria in your stool.

Dancer and academic, Mmatumisang Motsisi from South Africa.

Dancer and academic, Mmatumisang Motsisi from South Africa.

Dancing away preconceptions about ADHD

A South African theatre-maker dances her way through work and life.

An albino fashion model sits in a hanging chair and flips through a magazine in Angola.

An albino fashion model sits in a hanging chair and flips through a magazine in Angola.

Challenging albinism discrimination in Angola

How Angolan Telmo Martins got from marginalized to role model.

About ten men are seen running away from danger on a rubble-filled street in Beirut

About ten men are seen running away from danger on a rubble-filled street in Beirut

Stranded African migrants in Lebanon feel abandoned

Thousands of African nationals are currently stuck in Lebanon, where they're facing discrimination.

A man carries a banner that reads: "I am an equality voter"

A man carries a banner that reads: "I am an equality voter"

Discrimination and refuge for trans people

Minnesota is a safe haven in the culture battle over trans rights.

A security guard stands watch with a gun

A security guard stands watch with a gun

Bangladesh's garment workers return to jobs after unrest

Can the new interim government tackle longstanding problems affecting the industry?

Photos from previous Belgrade Pride parades, one of which shows a bearded man waving a large rainbow flag on the street, Belgrade, Serbia, September 2024

Photos from previous Belgrade Pride parades, one of which shows a bearded man waving a large rainbow flag on the street, Belgrade, Serbia, September 2024

Belgrade Pride: Serbia's LGBTQ+ fight on after no progress

Given the lack of progress on LGBTQ+ rights, organizers of Belgrade Pride see the event as a protest, not a celebration.

Women in India hold posters reading 'resist sexual violence' and 'no means no'

Women in India hold posters reading 'resist sexual violence' and 'no means no'

Sexual harassment scandal hits India's Mollywood industry

Kerala's movie industry faces a major upheaval after a damning report uncovered sexual harassment of female workers.

Three transgender entertainers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Three transgender entertainers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Pakistan: Transgender entertainers face extortion

Many transgender people in Pakistan's northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province earn money by dancing at private parties.

Roxanne Tickle in front of Australian Federal Court court house with media and legal team

Roxanne Tickle in front of Australian Federal Court court house with media and legal team

Australia: Trans woman wins case against female-only app

An Australian court ruled that female-only app "Giggle for Girls" engaged in "indirect" gender identity discrimination.

Two men dressed in rainbow shirts march at the Berlin Pride Parade in Berlin, holding up protest signs

Two men dressed in rainbow shirts march at the Berlin Pride Parade in Berlin, holding up protest signs

LGBTQ+ rights in Germany: Protected in the constitution?

Germany wants to add the protection of sexual identity into the constitution, but conservative lawmakers are opposed.

Police clash with rioters in Rotherham

Police clash with rioters in Rotherham

UK riots: How far-right actors capitalized on public anger

Who is the far right in the United Kingdom, and how did they fan the flames in the recent riots?

Projekt Zukunft | Mathe für Blinde

Projekt Zukunft | Mathe für Blinde

Inclusive math for blind students

Studying math can be a challenge for people who are blind. One project is making math textbooks accessible.

DW Tomorrow Today Sendungslogo Composite

DW Tomorrow Today Sendungslogo Composite

Tomorrow Today — The Science Show

Mapping and monitoring coral reefs; miracle marine worms; organ donation and the gift of life; racism in medicine.

DW Sendung Shift | Online Dating

DW Sendung Shift | Online Dating

Do dating app algorithms determine whom we love?

Algorithms steer which users are shown to others on dating apps – but they’re not always fair.

Pembe Özkan | DW Reporter zu LGBTQ-Szene in der Türkei

Pembe Özkan | DW Reporter zu LGBTQ-Szene in der Türkei

Queer life under Erdoğan

Pembe Özkan is a lesbian who now lives in Turkey, having lived almost her entire life in Germany.

DW's Eddy Micah

DW's Eddy Micah

Africa: How can technology help propel women forward?

From agriculture to trade, health, and education, women play a key role in Africa's economies. But they still face bias.

Ferda Ataman presenting the report at a Berlin press conference. June 25, 2024.

Ferda Ataman presenting the report at a Berlin press conference. June 25, 2024.

Germany: Annual discrimination report logs 22% rise in cases

Around 40% of the cases pertained to racism, while roughly a quarter targeted the disabled or chronically ill.

A Sinti and Roma flag

A Sinti and Roma flag

Germany: Attacks on Sinti and Roma double

Prejudice and discrimination are to be found on the streets as well as at government agencies.

HER Women in Asia | Staffel 4

HER Women in Asia | Staffel 4

At the Top

Why is it harder for women to get good jobs? Get to know three women who overcome all the hurdles and climb to the top.

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Are people black or white?

There is a simple scientific explanation as to why skin color varies.

Many Africans with albinism suffer discrimination, but one Nollywood actor is hoping to change that.

Many Africans with albinism suffer discrimination, but one Nollywood actor is hoping to change that.

Actor with albinism breaks barriers in Nigeria's Nollywood

Many Africans with albinism suffer discrimination, but one Nollywood actor is hoping to change that.

Demonstration against racism in Cologne in 2020, protester holding up a sign reading: "we are all the same!"

Demonstration against racism in Cologne in 2020, protester holding up a sign reading: "we are all the same!"

Germany: Study shows correlation between racism and poverty

Black, Muslim and Asian people are more at risk of poverty in Germany, according to a study.

Konstantin, a gay man from Russia, standing in a snowy street

Konstantin, a gay man from Russia, standing in a snowy street

LGBTQ+ movement supporters escaping to Spain

The LGBTQ+ movement is banned as extremist in Russia, causing people to flee.

A child refugee from Ukraine holds a Ukrainian flag as she walks through a temporary welcome center tent outside the main train station in Berlin

A child refugee from Ukraine holds a Ukrainian flag as she walks through a temporary welcome center tent outside the main train station in Berlin

Ukraine's Romani people face discrimination in Germany

Fleeing from Ukraine's war, Romani people in Germany often encounter racism instead of help.

Police at Christopher Street Day in Berlin

Police at Christopher Street Day in Berlin

Germany: New office targets police racism and discrimination

Veteran police officer Uli Grötsch, the new commissioner for the country's federal police, faces a major challenge.

A mosque in Zahedan, Iran

A mosque in Zahedan, Iran

Iran's Sunni Muslims face discrimination amid Eid al-Fitr

Sunni Muslims, who make up 10% of the population, have said they have very few rights in the Islamic Republic.

A Black woman walks past a hairdressing salon in Paris March 28, 2024

A Black woman walks past a hairdressing salon in Paris March 28, 2024

French National Assembly votes to outlaw hair discrimination

The law, which will particularly impact Black women with natural hair, now needs to pass the French Senate.

A woman walks past a hairdressing salon in Paris.

A woman walks past a hairdressing salon in Paris.

French lawmakers back bill banning hair discrimination

France's lower house of parliament has approved a bill forbidding workplace discrimination based on hair and hair style.

Five young Central Asian men seen in front of tents, leaning on a yellow metal barrier

Five young Central Asian men seen in front of tents, leaning on a yellow metal barrier

Russia's Tajiks face discrimination after Moscow attack

Many Central Asians in Russia have faced heightened xenophobia following the recent attack near Moscow.

A man dressed in a green outfit and dark sunglasses walks down a sidewalk

A man dressed in a green outfit and dark sunglasses walks down a sidewalk

Germany's gender-fluid top model takes on discrimination

Felix Nieder, one of Germany's top male models, is working to tear down gender boundaries and stop discrimination.

A crowd of people holding Polish flags and a protest placard with a silhouette of Donald Tusk and the word Dicktator

A crowd of people holding Polish flags and a protest placard with a silhouette of Donald Tusk and the word Dicktator

Still divided? Poland under new management

Poland may have voted out a right-wing populist government, but has society really come together?

Slowakei Bratislava | Proteste gegen Strafrechtsreform

Slowakei Bratislava | Proteste gegen Strafrechtsreform

Focus on Europe - Spotlight on People

Slovakian painter Andrej Dúbravský is openly gay and a target of the country's culture minister.

An Indian employee at a German engineering plant

An Indian employee at a German engineering plant

Germany tempts foreign workers, despite discrimination

Foreign workers in Germany say they have faced more discrimination than anticipated before making the move.

View of a street in Seoul with young women walking and chatting, and some sitting on outdoor seating

View of a street in Seoul with young women walking and chatting, and some sitting on outdoor seating

More North Korean defectors say they are happy in the South

People who fled North Korea say they appreciate employment and education — but are most thankful for having freedom.

Rainbow and transgender flags on sale at the Rainbow Pride Bratislava Parade, Bratislava, Slovakia, July 22, 2023

Rainbow and transgender flags on sale at the Rainbow Pride Bratislava Parade, Bratislava, Slovakia, July 22, 2023

Slovakia: Surgery once again a condition for gender change

The revocation of guidelines on gender transition in Slovakia has caused dismay and concern in the LGBTQ+ community.

A migrant stands, holding an infant on one arm, looking through a wire fence at processing center in Germany

A migrant stands, holding an infant on one arm, looking through a wire fence at processing center in Germany

Racism can make you sick

People who experience racial discrimination can develop high blood pressure, excess weight and mental health problems.

Ludmilla Sokol, a Russian citizen living in Latvia, sitting at a desk

Ludmilla Sokol, a Russian citizen living in Latvia, sitting at a desk

Putin claims discrimination of Russian minority in Latvia

How Putin is trying to turn Latvia's new language laws into pro-Russia propaganda.

DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

What is beauty? - Global Us

Skin bleaching is risky but it's common in Jamaica. A German beauty salon run by migrants is fighting racism.

Boxes of medication branded Rolnavir on a production line

Boxes of medication branded Rolnavir on a production line

Russia faces shortage of HIV/AIDS drugs

More than one million people in Russia are HIV-positive, but many don't receive necessary treatment.

Prem Pariyar, far right, and other members of Californians for Caste Equity pose together

Prem Pariyar, far right, and other members of Californians for Caste Equity pose together

Caste equality advocates in the US vow not to give up

Despite a California veto on adding caste as a protected category, efforts to recognize caste discrimination continue.

Performance artist Frauke Frech and make-up artist Mara Hesse, who jointly run the intercultural beauty salon "Grand Beauty" in Leipzig-Grünau.

Performance artist Frauke Frech and make-up artist Mara Hesse, who jointly run the intercultural beauty salon "Grand Beauty" in Leipzig-Grünau.

Challenging stereotypes - A beauty salon for everyone

The "Grand Beauty" in Leipzig has become a meeting place for locals and migrants alike.

Black Lives Matter protest in Berlin in May 2020

Black Lives Matter protest in Berlin in May 2020

Racism and discrimination in Germany exposed in new survey

Black, Asian and Muslim people report they are regularly discriminated against because of looks, origin or religion.