Tajik authorities have begun drafting an antidiscrimination law, a source within Tajik parliament told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to him, a special working group has been set up for drafting the law on protection against discrimination, and its members include representatives of Tajik Ombudsman’s Office, Ministry of Justice and Parliament
“By president’s instruction the draft antidiscrimination law should be widely discussed with participation of the public, especially representatives of the country’s civil society,” the source said.
The antidiscrimination law may include protections for groups based on sex, age, race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, mental illness or ability, gender, religious, creed, or individual political opinions.
Antidiscrimination laws are rooted in principles of equality, specifically, that individuals should not be treated differently due the characteristics outlined above. At the same time, they have often been criticized as violations of the inherent right of free association. Antidiscrimination laws are designed to protect against both individual discrimination (committed by individuals) and from structural discrimination (arising from policies or procedures that disadvantage certain groups).
