We appear to have a culture where to have a registered disability, to be female or to be of an ethnic minority is in consideration as much as your qualifications and experience themselves.
Rubbish.I have a disability and have tried looking for work,most employers won't consider you for a position at all due to the amount of time you may need off work due to illness.
indeed, some ABers will even dishonourably discharge you if you make yourself 'disabled' by getting pregnant. Being female won't help you, it's all your own silly fault.
Public sector employers tend to positively discriminate more often,private employers couldn't give two hoots really. Try proving at a tribunal that they refused you a job because of disability! They will always have a plausible back-up reason for offering the job to somebody else.
Daffy, I disagree with you. For university courses, for jobs and other forms I've filled out your asked so many questions about your background....even questions about your sexuality and your marital status. If it is not important and not a consideration then the relevant bodies would not go to such lengths to ask these questions?
And one other participant on this site said that Harriet Harman has suggested "woman only shortlists" How is that meritocracy? And I also heard that Harriet Harman wanted to bringa law through that said that an employer could deliberately and legally employ a woman or individual from an ethnic minority over a male candidate. As my dad always says it will all come back on them when people have been pushed too far.
It could but given the woefull state of affairs in many high profile and powerful jobs it makes sense to shift the burden of proof to the employer to show that that is the case.