Equality vs Equity - IWD
Equity doesn’t means that everybody should have equal amounts of everything but rather, equity means that people should have the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome—and in certain situations this means that some people should have more, while some should have less, not because they are considered less humans or less capable, but because it is fair to do so.
Equity means having a balanced distribution of opportunities! And this has been the demands of women from various parts of the world. And equity, for me, means fairness! Because even in equality there can be unfairness, but in equity there’s fairness!
And this is what guides my advocacy for women development in society.
Equality means asking a millionaire to pay £1000 for tax, and asking a £2000 salary earner to pay the same amount for tax. This is unquestionably unfair!
When I think of equality I think of a scenario where a pregnant woman and a man are given equal amount of load to carry, but when I think of equity I think of that same scenario, but in this case the pregnant woman is given less load to carry, while the man is given more.
Or a situation where there are five men in a room and there are also five women in a room (not just for the sake of occupying space), but for the sake giving women the same authority to speak/share their opinions as the men do.
In equality we say give women what we give men, but in equity we say give women what is fair for women—and doesn’t fall short of what we give men (especially in terms of opportunities).
But I think that our problem in the world is that we struggle to understand what fairness is. Those who are privileged and in power want to remain so, without thinking about those who have less. It is high time we hit the switch button for this.
I am a woman! And I believe in equity for women!
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!
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