Direct discrimination is a situation in which a person is treated less favorably because of his or her real or assumed ethnic or racial origin, religion, beliefs, age, disability, sexual orientation or gender, than another person in a comparable situation.

Legal definition:

"Direct discrimination is any situation in which a person is treated less favorably than another is, has been or will be treated in a comparable situation, on the basis of his or her actual or assumed membership or non-membership of an ethnic group or race, religion, beliefs, age, disability, sexual orientation or gender."

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