{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/equality-act-2010/section-69",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/equality-act-2010/section-69.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2010/15",
  "legislation_title": "Equality Act 2010",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/equality-act-2010",
  "path": "section/69",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "69",
  "heading": "Defence of material factor",
  "text": "(1) The sex equality clause in A's terms has no effect in relation to a difference between A's terms and B's terms if the responsible person shows that the difference is because of a material factor reliance on which—\n(a) does not involve treating A less favourably because of A's sex than the responsible person treats B, and\n(b) if the factor is within subsection (2), is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.\n(2) A factor is within this subsection if A shows that, as a result of the factor, A and persons of the same sex doing work equal to A's are put at a particular disadvantage when compared with persons of the opposite sex doing work equal to A's.\n(3) For the purposes of subsection (1), the long-term objective of reducing inequality between men's and women's terms of work is always to be regarded as a legitimate aim.\n(4) A sex equality rule has no effect in relation to a difference between A and B in the effect of a relevant matter if the trustees or managers of the scheme in question show that the difference is because of a material factor which is not the difference of sex.\n(5) “Relevant matter” has the meaning given in section 67.\n(6) For the purposes of this section, a factor is not material unless it is a material difference between A's case and B's.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/69",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T17:03:45.890819+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
  }
}