Section 17 — Pregnancy and maternity discrimination: non-work cases
This version in force from 2010-10-01
Snapshot: 2026-08-24
Reproduced from legislation.gov.uk (Crown Copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). Amendments made after 2026-08-24 may not be reflected — always check the official text .
(1) This section has effect for the purposes of the application to the protected characteristic of pregnancy and maternity of—
(a) Part 3 (services and public functions);
(b) Part 4 (premises);
(c) Part 6 (education);
(d) Part 7 (associations).
(2) A person (A) discriminates against a woman if A treats her unfavourably because of a pregnancy of hers.
(3) A person (A) discriminates against a woman if, in the period of 26 weeks beginning with the day on which she gives birth, A treats her unfavourably because she has given birth.
(4) The reference in subsection (3) to treating a woman unfavourably because she has given birth includes, in particular, a reference to treating her unfavourably because she is breast-feeding.
(5) For the purposes of this section, the day on which a woman gives birth is the day on which—
(a) she gives birth to a living child, or
(b) she gives birth to a dead child (more than 24 weeks of the pregnancy having passed).
(6) Section 13, so far as relating to sex discrimination, does not apply to anything done in relation to a woman in so far as—
(a) it is for the reason mentioned in subsection (2), or
(b) it is in the period, and for the reason, mentioned in subsection (3).