CitizenReadyTopic: Equality & Protection
Equality, Respect & Protection
One Act, nine protected characteristics, and firm lines against forced marriage, FGM and abuse. Judge four real scenarios, sort the protected list, and flip the protections.
Before we start — have a guess
Two warm-up questions on equality law.
The Equality Act 2010…
Primed ✓
Forcing someone to marry against their will is…
Primed ✓ — now the framework.
Nine protected characteristics
Treat someone unfairly because of any of these — at work, in a shop, in housing, anywhere — and the Equality Act says it is unlawful. That one sentence powers most of this topic.
Judge the scenarios
Tap a situation, then tap the law’s verdict.
Judged ✓ — three unlawful, one lawful exception. The Act has sensible edges as well as firm lines.
Protected characteristic — or not?
Tap an item to select it, then tap its bucket.
🛡️ Protected
⚪ Not protected
Sorted ✓ — the list is specific, and worth knowing exactly.
Flip the details
Answer in your head first, then tap to check.
What is coercive control?
A pattern of controlling, threatening behaviour in a relationship — a specific criminal offence since 2015, even without physical violence.
What are “reasonable adjustments”?
Changes employers and services must make so disabled people are not disadvantaged — ramps, formats, flexibility. The law requires them.
Civil partnership or marriage — who can choose which?
Both are open to same-sex and opposite-sex couples in the UK — equal recognition, your choice.
Where can discrimination law reach?
Work, shops and services, housing, healthcare, clubs and education — unfair treatment because of a protected characteristic is unlawful in all of them.
All flipped ✓
True or false — no thinking time allowed
Quickfire complete ✓
Six real questions on this topic
Score 5 or 6 and this topic is marked mastered on your path. Anything less: revisit the block you missed and retake.
✓ green = correct · ✗ red = wrong · 🚩 red ring = marked for review · gold outline = current question
Your result
Say it in your own words
Explain what the Equality Act 2010 does, and name two serious offences that protect people in relationships. Say it out loud or write it down — then compare.
Reveal a model answer
The Equality Act 2010 brought earlier anti-discrimination laws together into one Act: it is unlawful to treat someone unfairly because of a protected characteristic — including race, sex, disability, religion and age — at work, in services, housing and elsewhere. Within relationships, the law is equally firm: forcing someone to marry is a crime, and so is coercive control, a specific offence since 2015.
Where next?
Drill all of Chapter 1 in the Chapter 1 practice sets, or pick your next topic on the Topics path.