WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Does legislation explicitly prohibit discrimination in terminations on the basis of sexual orientation?

Map reflects policies in place as of August 2016. Updates of these data are currently in progress.

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.

Terminations includes explicit legislative prohibitions against discriminatory terminations or dismissals from the workplace, or guarantees of continuance of employment.

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

General prohibition of discrimination in terminations means that legislation prohibits discrimination in terminations 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 terminations. These broad prohibitions use language that could extend prohibition of discrimination across any aspect of work.

Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition means that legislation either extends: a) an explicit prohibition of discriminatory terminations on the basis of sexual orientation, or b) extends a broad prohibition of workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation alongside a general prohibition of discriminatory termination to all workers.

Countries

Afghanistan - No prohibition

Morocco - No prohibition

Mali - No prohibition

Marshall Islands - No prohibition

Mauritania - No prohibition

Federated States of Micronesia - No prohibition

Monaco - No prohibition

Mongolia - No prohibition

Myanmar - No prohibition

Malaysia - No prohibition

Namibia - No prohibition

Nauru - No prohibition

Nepal - No prohibition

Niger - No prohibition

Nigeria - No prohibition

Oman - No prohibition

Pakistan - No prohibition

Maldives - No prohibition

Malawi - No prohibition

Panama - No prohibition

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - No prohibition

Iraq - No prohibition

Jamaica - No prohibition

Japan - No prohibition

Jordan - No prohibition

Kazakhstan - No prohibition

Kenya - No prohibition

Republic of Korea - No prohibition

Madagascar - No prohibition

Kuwait - No prohibition

Kyrgyzstan - No prohibition

Laos - No prohibition

Lebanon - No prohibition

Lesotho - No prohibition

Libya - No prohibition

Liechtenstein - No prohibition

Palau - No prohibition

Papua New Guinea - No prohibition

Indonesia - No prohibition

Uganda - No prohibition

Timor-Leste - No prohibition

Togo - No prohibition

Tonga - No prohibition

Trinidad and Tobago - No prohibition

Tunisia - No prohibition

Tuvalu - No prohibition

United Arab Emirates - No prohibition

Tanzania - No prohibition

United States of America - No prohibition

Uruguay - No prohibition

Uzbekistan - No prohibition

Vanuatu - No prohibition

Vietnam - No prohibition

Yemen - No prohibition

Zambia - No prohibition

Thailand - No prohibition

Tajikistan - No prohibition

Paraguay - No prohibition

Senegal - No prohibition

The Philippines - No prohibition

Qatar - No prohibition

Russian Federation - No prohibition

Rwanda - No prohibition

San Marino - No prohibition

Sao Tome and Principe - No prohibition

Saudi Arabia - No prohibition

Sierra Leone - No prohibition

Sudan - No prohibition

Singapore - No prohibition

Solomon Islands - No prohibition

Somalia - No prohibition

South Sudan - No prohibition

Sri Lanka - No prohibition

St. Kitts and Nevis - No prohibition

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No prohibition

Iran - No prohibition

Zimbabwe - No prohibition

India - No prohibition

Cambodia - No prohibition

Egypt - No prohibition

Dominican Republic - No prohibition

Dominica - No prohibition

Djibouti - No prohibition

Cote d'Ivoire - No prohibition

Republic of the Congo - No prohibition

Democratic Republic of the Congo - No prohibition

Iceland - No prohibition

China - No prohibition

Chile - No prohibition

Chad - No prohibition

Central African Republic - No prohibition

Cameroon - No prohibition

Burundi - No prohibition

Equatorial Guinea - No prohibition

Brunei - No prohibition

Bolivia - No prohibition

Bhutan - No prohibition

Benin - No prohibition

Belize - No prohibition

Belarus - No prohibition

Barbados - No prohibition

Bangladesh - No prohibition

Bahrain - No prohibition

Bahamas - No prohibition

Armenia - No prohibition

Argentina - No prohibition

Antigua and Barbuda - No prohibition

Algeria - No prohibition

El Salvador - No prohibition

Comoros - No prohibition

Eritrea - No prohibition

Gabon - No prohibition

Honduras - No prohibition

Haiti - No prohibition

Guyana - No prohibition

Guinea-Bissau - No prohibition

Guinea - No prohibition

Guatemala - No prohibition

Grenada - No prohibition

Greenland - No prohibition

The Gambia - No prohibition

Ghana - No prohibition

Ethiopia - No prohibition

Syria - General prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Peru - General prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Brazil - General prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Eswatini - General prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Turkey - General prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Turkmenistan - General prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Azerbaijan - General prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Switzerland - General prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Burkina Faso - General prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Samoa - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Finland - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Ukraine - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Colombia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Suriname - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Sweden - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Croatia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Venezuela - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Cuba - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Czech Republic - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Nicaragua - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation

Ecuador - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Montenegro - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Kiribati - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Belgium - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Denmark - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Estonia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Moldova - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Malta - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Mozambique - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Austria - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

United Kingdom - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Australia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Italy - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Israel - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Ireland - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Angola - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Andorra - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Hungary - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Mexico - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Greece - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Albania - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

The Netherlands - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

New Zealand - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Cyprus - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Norway - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

France - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Costa Rica - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

North Macedonia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Luxembourg - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Lithuania - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Poland - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Portugal - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Romania - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Fiji - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Georgia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

St. Lucia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Cabo Verde - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Canada - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Germany - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Serbia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

- Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Latvia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Mauritius - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Slovakia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Slovenia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Bulgaria - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

South Africa - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Spain - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Botswana - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition

Liberia - Yes, sexual orientation-specific prohibition