Petition · past parliament · Cabinet Office
Include parents & single people as protected characteristics.
Closed
188 signatures
What the petition asks
The Govt. should extend the protected characteristic (PC) 'Pregnancy & Maternity' to cover all parents with dependent children. The 'Marriage & Civil Partnership' characteristic should be updated to cover all marital statuses. These changes will broaden protection to groups such as single parents.
Parents, particularly single parents (80% female), have long experienced discrimination. The Pregnancy & MaternityPC risks perpetuating a gender bias & offers no protection to either parent if they were discriminated against on the basis of their parenting status. The Marriage & Civil PartnershipPC excludes those who are single, divorced or separated. Single parents are doubly at risk as there is no legal imperative for their particular circumstances to be considered in employment or in accessing services. Change is needed.
Timeline
| 21 Aug 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 21 Feb 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
188
Status
Closed
Department
Cabinet Office
Opened
21 Aug 2020
Closed
21 Feb 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.