Discrimination

Definition

Discrimination occurs when people are disadvantaged, excluded, or degraded because of certain personal characteristics. Actions of this kind can relate to gender, ethnicity, skin color, religion or belief, age, disability and/or chronic illness, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Discrimination can be overt and direct, for example through offensive comments or the denial of services. However, it can also be indirect and hidden, for example through structural disadvantages, unequal access, or discriminatory rules.

Note: The law speaks of direct discrimination when a person is treated less favorably than another in a comparable situation on the basis of a protected characteristic. The term indirect discrimination describes when seemingly neutral rules or practices disadvantage certain groups without objective justification.

Forms of discrimination

• Verbal discrimination: derogatory language, jokes, or comments.
• Structural discrimination: unequal opportunities due to institutional regulations or practices.

Note: it is often difficult to distinguish between discrimination and bullying. Both situations result in hurtful and disadvantageous exclusion of people. Discrimination always relates to a specific personal characteristic; in practice, however, the distinctions are often fluid.

 

 

 

You have experienced discrimination? 

Here are suggestions what your next steps could be: Setzen Sie aktiv erste Schritte: Tipps für Betroffene 

Here is a list of Support Services that can help you navigate the situation.

• Consultations are strictly confidential.
• No measures will be taken without your consent.

 

Have you witnessed discrimination or have you been told about incidents of discrimination?

As an active bystander you can intervene safely and appropriately to support individuals experiencing discrimination: Tipps für Active Bystander

Teachers are often the first persons students confide in. Here are suggestions on how to navigate these conversations and how to handle difficult situations: Empfehlungen für Lehrende

Managers have specific duties and obligations, if they are made aware of incidents of discrimination. Detailed information and suggestions on how to navigate conversations HERE

Whatever your role may be, documenting incidents and conversations is always reccomended: Vorlage Gedächtnisprotokoll

 

 

 

Examples

Examples of verbal discrimination

• “A PhD position? A scientific career at your age?”
• “Compensation for disadvantages? You don’t look disadvantaged at all!”
• “Trans, inter, non-binary… it’s all too complicated for me.”
• “How did you learn German so well?”
• “Don’t be like that, it’s a compliment!”
• “Who will look after your young children when you want to go back to work full-time?”
• “You’re taking a long time to get your bachelor’s degree.”

Examples of structural discrimination

Lack of accessibility

• Buildings without ramps or elevators for wheelchair users
• No accessible digital content (e.g., PDFs not suitable for screen readers)

Unequal access opportunities

• Courses or committee meetings arranged at times that are incompatible with care responsibilities
• Lack of childcare offers for students or employees

Discriminatory regulations

• Dress codes that prohibit cultural or religious clothing
• Examination formats that disadvantage people with disabilities

Institutional discrimination

• No gender-neutral toilets or changing rooms
• Lack of guidelines for dealing with trans* or non-binary individuals

Inequality in representation

• Teaching materials limited to stereotypical heteronormative representations
• No consideration of diversity in research and teaching

 

Case Study

Amina K., Administrative employee

Amina K. is an administrative employee who wears a headscarf (hijab). She has been employed at the university on a fixed-term contract for two years. Her responsibilities include front office tasks, providing information, checking forms, and coordinating internal processes.

Two colleagues repeatedly make “joking” comments about Amina’s name and accent (“we’d like Austrian-sounding voices for the front office”), send invitations to team meetings late or not at all, and post memes with religious stereotypes in the work WhatsApp group. 

Her supervisor transfers Amina from customer service to the back office without any objective justification (“customers feel more comfortable”), and cancels a promised service training course, citing “limited budgets.” 

Amina documents the incidents and asks her supervisor for redress. Due to the lack of response, she turns to the Working Group on Equal Opportunities (Arbeitskreis für Gleichbehandlungsfragen, AKG). These incidents constitute harassment based on ethnicity and religion, as well as unequal treatment in everyday working life, including in relation to further training opportunities. 

 

 

Further resources

The university guarantees protection against discrimination in  IV. Abschnitt der Satzung Chancengleichheit: Nichtdiskriminierung, insb. Frauenförderung (German)

On a national level the Gleichbehandlungsgesetz (GlBG) and the Bundesgleichbehandlungsgesetz (B-GlBG) are most relevant. A summary can be found in the Sprachbox. (German)

The Ombud for Equal Treatment offers a number of  case studies and resources on discrimination.