Equal Opportunities in an Unequal World: Laws Help—But It Takes More

Have you ever felt overlooked, even though you met all the requirements? Say, for example, you applied for a job for which you have the experience, knowledge, and recommendations—but the position went to someone who “fits better.”

Sometimes, the reason is your age—you might be “too old.” Sometimes, it’s because you’re not from the “right” ethnic group. Or maybe you’re a woman at an age when it’s assumed you might get pregnant. Or you’re a parent of a small child, a person with a disability, or you’re in a same-sex marriage. The list goes on.

Laws can help build a fairer society, but many people still face discrimination like this in their everyday lives. Without education and public awareness, lasting progress will remain out of reach.

A Global Picture of Discrimination

Despite historical progress, racism and discrimination remain deeply rooted and widespread worldwide. According to a UNESCO report, race is the cause in as many as 38% of reported discrimination cases globally, while ethnic origin is the main cause in 20%. ⁽¹⁾

If you’re a woman, your chances of experiencing discrimination at least once in your lifetime are twice as high as those of men. Women also report discrimination based on marital status twice as often. People with disabilities also face extremely high levels of discrimination—one in three has reported such experiences. ⁽²⁾

In many cases, overlapping identities increase vulnerability and worsen discrimination. Discrimination most often manifests as verbal abuse (in 34% of cases), and in as many as 18% of cases, it includes physical violence. ⁽³⁾

Discrimination and Mental Health

Research shows that experiencing discrimination can trigger a range of negative emotional reactions linked to stress, including distress, sadness, and anger. It can also lead to risky behaviors, such as alcohol, tobacco, and substance use, while reducing participation in healthy habits, like regular sleep and physical activity. ⁽⁴⁾

The harmful effects of discrimination can be felt even if a person is not a direct target of injustice—the mere belonging to a frequently discriminated-against group, such as racial minorities or LGBTQ+ communities, can be a source of chronic stress. ⁽⁴⁾

To better understand the world around us, our brain often takes shortcuts. It simplifies things by placing them into boxes. This starts at an early age: Boys are like this, girls are like that. But the values we attach to those differences are not innate. We learn them from our parents, schools, the media, and everyday interactions. And that’s where the story of discrimination begins.

Infographic design by Boris Benko

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Measuring Inequality

The World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, which measures how people are treated based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and national origin, shows that the countries with the highest levels of discrimination are Afghanistan, Sudan, and Nicaragua. Among high-income countries, discrimination is most prevalent in the United States and Hungary. ⁽⁵⁾

The United States ranks 103 out of 140 countries in overall equality of treatment. It performs particularly poorly in terms of judicial impartiality, ranking 106th in criminal justice fairness and 121st in the absence of discrimination in civil justice. The top-performing countries are Finland, Estonia, and Singapore. ⁽⁵⁾

Although laws protect citizens from discrimination based on race, color, sex, ethnic origin, age, and disability in employment and housing, discrimination unfortunately still occurs. Creating truly equal opportunities requires ongoing awareness, education, and systemic change to break down these barriers and ensure fairness for all.

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