Equity-based verses equality-based solutions The goal of equity is to change systemic and structural barriers that get in the way of people's ability to thrive. Inequity affects many people, but most commonly historically it has marginalized communities such as women, people of color, disabled people, the economically disadvantaged, and those from the LGBTQ+ community. Equity acknowledges that people don't begin life in the same place, and that circumstances can make it more difficult for people to achieve the same goals. However, ongoing conversation highlights whether equality is enough, and if instead we should look towards equity as a better principle to progress society. Equity is linked to the ideal that success is based on personal efforts and not social status. Equality is based on the belief that all people should have the same opportunities for a happy life. In political terms, equality is one of the foundations of democracy. Equality and equity as political principles Justice was uniform and consistent, but not necessarily fair. For example, if two people both commit theft, but the stolen items have different value, should they receive the same punishment? Since then, Courts have adopted the principle of equity, taking a case-by-case approach to consider differing circumstances. One of the earliest examples of equity is found in Medieval England, when English courts settled disputes according to Common Law. Often, this has been taught when we were growing up, but 'fairness' really only works when we're all the same to start out with. The concept of ' fairness' can get tricky as it's often assumed that 'being fair' means that everybody gets the same thing. In other words, it's not giving everyone the exact same thing. If we give everyone the exact same thing, expecting that will make people equal, it assumes that everyone started out in the same place - and this can be vastly inaccurate because everyone isn't the same. Let's hear from Belgium-based inclusion specialist Tamara Makoni, founder of Kazuri Consulting as she clearly explains the difference between equality and equity - and why it truly matters to #EmbraceEquity.Įquity can be defined as giving everyone what they need to be successful. Let's start with a basic definition of each word.Įquality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.Įquity recognizes that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. Image source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme seeks to get the world talking about why "equal opportunities are no longer enough" - and can in fact be exclusionary, rather than inclusive. So, what's the difference between equityand equality - and why is it important to understand, acknowledge and value this? The words equity and e quality are often used interchangeably.Įtymologically, the root word they share is aequus, meaning “even” or “fair” or “equal” - which led to equity being from the Latin aequitas, and equality from aequalitas. Yet, despite these similarities, equity and equality are inherently different concepts, and the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme seeks to help forge worldwide conversation about this important issue and its impact. Equality versus Equity: What's the difference as we #EmbraceEquity for IWD 2023 and beyond?
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