WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Does legislation explicitly prohibit discrimination in hiring or recruitment on the basis of sexual orientation?

The term “sexual orientation” includes references to ‘sexual preference’ and ‘homosexuality’. For the purposes of this variable, the term “sexual orientation” captures all of these definitions.

Hiring or recruitment includes explicit legislative prohibitions against discrimination during pre-employment, or the hiring or recruitment process.

No prohibition means that legislation does not take an explicit approach to prohibiting discrimination in hiring or recruitment on the basis of sexual orientation. This does not mean that legislation denies this guarantee.

General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment means that legislation prohibits discrimination in hiring or recruitment generally— for example, by prohibiting discrimination based on “any status” or stating no worker may be discriminated against. This general prohibition is not specifically extended on the basis of sexual orientation.

Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation means that legislation extends a prohibition of discrimination at the workplace on the basis of sexual orientation, but does not explicitly address discrimination in hiring nor recruitment on this basis. These broad prohibitions use language that could extend prohibition of discrimination across any aspect of work.

Yes, sexual orientation-based prohibition means that legislation either: a) extends an explicit sexual orientation-based prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment, or b) extends a broad prohibition of sexual orientation-based workplace discrimination alongside a general prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment to all workers.

Countries

United Arab Emirates - No prohibition

Antigua and Barbuda - No prohibition

Argentina - No prohibition

Azerbaijan - No prohibition

Bangladesh - No prohibition

Bahrain - No prohibition

Burundi - No prohibition

Benin - No prohibition

Brunei - No prohibition

Bahamas - No prohibition

Bhutan - No prohibition

Botswana - No prohibition

Belize - No prohibition

Democratic Republic of the Congo - No prohibition

Central African Republic - No prohibition

Republic of the Congo - No prohibition

Switzerland - No prohibition

Cote d'Ivoire - No prohibition

Cameroon - No prohibition

Djibouti - No prohibition

Dominica - No prohibition

Dominican Republic - No prohibition

Algeria - No prohibition

Egypt - No prohibition

Eritrea - No prohibition

Ethiopia - No prohibition

Micronesia, Federated States of - No prohibition

Grenada - No prohibition

Ghana - No prohibition

Greenland - No prohibition

The Gambia - No prohibition

Guinea - No prohibition

Guinea-Bissau - No prohibition

Guyana - No prohibition

Haiti - No prohibition

Indonesia - No prohibition

India - No prohibition

Iran - No prohibition

Jamaica - No prohibition

Jordan - No prohibition

Japan - No prohibition

Kenya - No prohibition

Kyrgyzstan - No prohibition

Cambodia - No prohibition

Comoros - No prohibition

St. Kitts and Nevis - No prohibition

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - No prohibition

Republic of Korea - No prohibition

Kuwait - No prohibition

Laos - No prohibition

Lebanon - No prohibition

St. Lucia - No prohibition

Liechtenstein - No prohibition

Sri Lanka - No prohibition

Lesotho - No prohibition

Morocco - No prohibition

Monaco - No prohibition

Madagascar - No prohibition

Marshall Islands - No prohibition

Mali - No prohibition

Myanmar - No prohibition

Mauritania - No prohibition

Maldives - No prohibition

Malaysia - No prohibition

Mozambique - No prohibition

Namibia - No prohibition

Niger - No prohibition

Nigeria - No prohibition

Nepal - No prohibition

Nauru - No prohibition

Oman - No prohibition

Panama - No prohibition

Papua New Guinea - No prohibition

The Philippines - No prohibition

Pakistan - No prohibition

Palau - No prohibition

Paraguay - No prohibition

Qatar - No prohibition

Rwanda - No prohibition

Solomon Islands - No prohibition

Sudan - No prohibition

Singapore - No prohibition

San Marino - No prohibition

Senegal - No prohibition

Somalia - No prohibition

South Sudan - No prohibition

El Salvador - No prohibition

Eswatini - No prohibition

Chad - No prohibition

Togo - No prohibition

Thailand - No prohibition

Tajikistan - No prohibition

Timor-Leste - No prohibition

Tunisia - No prohibition

Tonga - No prohibition

Türkiye - No prohibition

Trinidad and Tobago - No prohibition

Tanzania - No prohibition

Uganda - No prohibition

United States of America - No prohibition

Uruguay - No prohibition

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No prohibition

Vietnam - No prohibition

Vanuatu - No prohibition

Yemen - No prohibition

Zambia - No prohibition

Zimbabwe - No prohibition

Armenia - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Burkina Faso - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Bolivia - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Brazil - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Belarus - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

China - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Cabo Verde - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Ecuador - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Gabon - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Guatemala - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Iraq - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Kazakhstan - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Libya - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Malawi - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Peru - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Russian Federation - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Saudi Arabia - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Syria - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Turkmenistan - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Uzbekistan - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Canada - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Chile - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Colombia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Equatorial Guinea - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Honduras - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Mongolia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Nicaragua - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Sierra Leone - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Andorra - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Albania - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Angola - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Austria - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Australia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Barbados - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Belgium - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Bulgaria - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Costa Rica - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Cuba - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Cyprus - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Czech Republic - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Germany - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Denmark - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Estonia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Spain - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Finland - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Fiji - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

France - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

United Kingdom - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Georgia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Greece - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Croatia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Hungary - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Ireland - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Israel - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Iceland - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Italy - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Kiribati - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Liberia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Lithuania - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Luxembourg - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Latvia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Moldova - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Montenegro - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

North Macedonia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Malta - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Mauritius - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Mexico - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

The Netherlands - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Norway - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

New Zealand - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Poland - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Portugal - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Romania - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Serbia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Seychelles - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Sweden - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Slovenia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Slovakia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Suriname - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Sao Tome and Principe - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Tuvalu - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Ukraine - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Venezuela - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Samoa - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

South Africa - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition