Badenoch rejects law to cover menopause

EQUALITIES Minister Kemi Badenoch has dismissed attempts to widen anti-discrimination law to cover women going through the menopause.

She hit out yesterday at those who wanted legally protected status for everything including ‘carers, single people, having ginger hair [or] being short’.

Mrs Badenoch made the comments as she rejected calls from MPs on the women and equalities committee to add the menopause to the list of protected characteristics under the Equality Act, which makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, religion or disability.

‘The menopause is not a new issue,’ she said, adding that it can be dealt with under existing equality laws.

‘We could spend all of our lives doing consultations on new things to add to the Equality Act. I have here accent, obesity, Armed Forces membership.’