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ARTICLE · 05 FEBRUARY 2024

Ontario, Canada Human Rights Commission Publishes Policy On Caste-based Discrimination

Littler - Canada
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The Ontario Human Rights Commission recently published a policy statement (Policy) pertaining to "caste-based discrimination" under Ontario's Human Rights Code (Code).

CanadaEmployment and HR
Rhonda B. Levy
Rhonda B. Levy
Monty Verlint
Monty Verlint

The Ontario Human Rights Commission recently published a policy statement (Policy) pertaining to "caste-based discrimination" under Ontario's Human Rights Code (Code). The Policy advises organizations that they have a legal obligation under the Code to ensure that "their environments are free from discrimination and harassment, bullying or a poisoned environment based on caste and the related grounds"; to investigate claims of caste-based discrimination; and to remedy situations when such discrimination is found.

What is a caste system?

The Policy provides the following definition of a "caste system":

A caste system is a social stratification or hierarchy that determines a person or group's social class or standing, rooted in their ancestry and underlying notions of "purity" and "pollution." It is a traditional practice based in the political, social, cultural and economic structures of some cultural or religious communities and the societies in which it

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