Glossary

Without claiming to be exhaustive, this glossary explains some forms of discrimination in more detail here.

Ableism refers to the unjustified unequal treatment and rejection of a person on the basis of their physical and/or mental impairments. It is based on the assumption that the disabled person does not meet a physical or mental standard and is therefore considered inferior and/or less competent. On the one hand, Ableism manifests itself in individually discriminatory interactions such as insults against or violence towards people with disabilities. On the other hand, ableist discrimination also arises in institutions. For example, if there is no elevator in a (public) building or a website is not designed for lecture programs, people with disabilities are excluded, making it difficult or even impossible for them to participate in social, economic and political processes.

 Anti-fat bias or fatphobia refers to discrimination against fat people. This is based on the idea that body size and weight determine somone's value and competence and that fat people are therefore worth less than non-fat people. This idea can manifest itself in the form of prejudice, discrimination and disadvantage. Fat people experience discrimination in various areas of society: in everyday interactions, in public institutions, in the labor market, and especially in the health care system. Fat people often receive poorer health care because any health problems they might have are associated with their weight and therefore appropriate medical examination is omitted.

Homophobia and transphobia refers to discrimination against people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or queer. Cis-heteronormativity defines heterosexuality and being cisgender (cis is the opposite of trans) as the norm and devalues any identities that deviate from it. This devaluation can manifest itself in the form of discrimination, bullying, and violence, and can have serious negative impacts on the physical and mental health of LGBTQ+ individuals. LGBTQ+ people are also disadvantaged in many areas of society, such as employment, education, and health care.

For more detailed information on sexual orientation and gender identity, consult glossary on the Stonewall website . 

Racism is the generic term for an ideology or mental attitude. Despite extensive research on racism, there is no universally accepted definition of the term.

Generally speaking, racism describes the discrimination of people on the basis of their race, ethnicity or skin color. The ongoing supremacy of white people for several centuries - in numerous countries as well as globally - leads to the fact that people of color (= non-white persons, people affected by racism) experience stigmatization, exclusion and violence.

It is important to note that the concept of "race" remains one of the most porblematic and misunderstood concepts in modern biology and biomedicine. "Race" has served as a term for distinguishing human groups based on external characteristics such as skin color, hair texture, and eye shape, but also cultural and social characteristics such as language, religion, and nationality. However, it is clear that there are no races among humans, but only one species, namely Homo Sapiens. The German term "Rasse" should be avoided. To designate differences in origin, the term ethnicity is used today.  The English term race refers to socio-cultural categories (as opposed to supposedly biological ones, as in the term "race") and is therefore the appropriate expression in most cases.

International, as well as Swiss studies (see study from Zurich), suggest that low or moderate levels of implicit bias against ethnic minorities is present among many health care professionals. This can lead to poorer medical treatment and violates the Geneva (Doctors') Pledge.

Sexism refers to any expression (action, words, image, gesture) based on the belief that some people are inferior because of their gender. Often women suffer from sexism, but all genders can be affected.

Studies and surveys from Switzerland as well as international research (see study from the US and from french-speaking Switzerland) show that despite increasing numbers of women in the medical profession, sexism and sexist discrimination are still part of everyday life in hospitals.
For female doctors, there is a clear connection between experienced sexist discrimination and professional dissatisfaction, depression, physicians burnout and reduced self-esteem (see study from the US).

Sexual harassment is when a person is forced to endure or be confronted with a sexual act, unwanted touching, sexually tinged abuse or insults without their explicit consent. The affected person does not expect or desire such an act. This is stated in the Swiss Penal Code. Sexual harassment is thus considered a crime and is a criminal offence.

Sexualised harassment can take many different forms and be experienced to different degrees by the people concerned. It is described as ranging from disrespectful to transgressive. By definition, it does not have to involve any form of physical violence.

Examples for sexualised harassment are when a person's expertise is denied because of their gender, or when employees' appearance is discussed during work. All genders can be affected by this type of harassment.
Sexualised harassment can create an environment of intimidation, hostility, humiliation, degradation or insults. Such an environment can lead to lower morale and increased error rates at work.