The substance of previous law making it unlawful in the employment field to discriminate against a person because of sex (gender) remains unchanged by the Equality Act 2010 (see generally notes at Sex discrimination and/or at Sex discrimination/equal pay and terms of employment ).

Of course the general changes which outlaw discrimination by association and perceived discrimination apply to sex discrimination as to the other strands of discrimination from 1st October 2010 (see Equality Act 2010/associative and perceived discrimination ). So too does the general rule, applicable to all strands of discrimination, which ensures that what would otherwise be unlawful discrimination is not unlawful if being of a particular sex is an occupational requirement and is "a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim" (see Equality Act 2010/direct and indirect discrimination ).

The naming and numbering of relevant provisions are of course quite different from those used previously (the Equal Pay Act 1970, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Sex Discrimination Act 1986 are all repealed by Equality Act 2010 as is much of the Equality Act 2006).