International Women’s Day 2023 theme was #EmbraceEquity[1]. The aim of the campaign theme is to start conversations around why fighting for equal opportunities isn’t enough and why, to be truly inclusive, we must first strive for equitable action. Equity leads to equality, and equality ultimately leads to liberation!

The 2024 theme for international women’s day is Inspire Inclusion. Learn more about International women’s day here

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But what’s the difference between ‘equity’ and ‘equality’? The words are frequently used interchangeably. It’s easy to see why as, if we look at the roots of each word, they have very similar meanings; ‘even’, ‘fair’ and ‘equal’. However, there are key differences between these concepts and understanding these differences is vital in current discussions around social issues like women’s health and wellbeing.

If you’re not quite sure what these words mean or the differences between them, fear not! We’re going to clearly outline the differences between these concepts in this blog post and look at how The Bridge organises and delivers projects in an equitable way so you’ve got a few examples.

what do ‘equity’ and ‘equality’ mean?

So, let’s get started with some official definitions. In the Oxford Dictionary…

‘equality’ is defined as “the right of different groups of people to have a similar social position and receive the same treatment”[2].

‘equity’ is defined as “the situation in which everyone is treated fairly according to their needs and no group of people is given special treatment”[3].

Equality focuses on different groups receiving the same treatment whereas as equity is need-based. Whilst equality argues for complete impartiality and that no individual factors should impact treatment, equity argues that it is vital to focus on our differences, individual needs and histories.

how does each concept promote justice?

The difference of ‘same treatment’ and ‘needs-based treatment’ has a significant impact on approaches to fairness and justice.

Equality promotes giving everyone the same thing and treating everyone the same. This initially sounds like a great thing – why wouldn’t we want everyone to access to the same services and policies? But equality relies on the assumption that everyone starts from the same place, which is inaccurate and too simplistic. Different communities face different circumstances and have diverse lived experiences. These must be recognised and navigated for people to safely access services and be protected by policies which should exist serve everyone appropriately.

This is the focus of equity. An equitable approach to justice actively encourages us to look at how our individual circumstances impact what we’re able to do and that specific circumstances can make it more difficult for people to achieve the same goals as someone not experiencing those circumstances. Whilst we should all be able to access the same services and be protected by the same policies, the focus is on giving everyone what they individually need to be successful in doing so. In this context, it's not just about trying to level the playing field but actively taking steps to support people with less privilege achieve the same

For example, let’s consider fair access to education for boys and girls. While most countries have achieved equal access to schooling, in many countries there’s a significant difference in the number of girls actually attending school compared to boys (with out-of-school rates being highest for children from poorer, rural households[4]). This could be for many factors[5] such as:

if a girl doesn’t have a school near to her home, she’ll need to walk long and unsafe distances which may prevent her family from allowing her to go to school;
schools that don’t provide students with access to separate toilets can discourage girls who are menstruating from attending.

Whilst everyone theoretically has the same access to going to school, there are individual circumstances and barriers facing some girls which prevent them from accessing education. Equity takes this into account and is a more nuanced approach, challenging us to consider what changes we need to make within how society is currently structured rather than just giving equal access to current services and how they operate.

does The Bridge promote equity in its work?

Our women-only gym recognises the individual barriers that women can face to exercise. Six in ten women have felt harassed in the gym[6], including unwanted comments and advances from men. If women don’t feel safe attending mixed gyms, despite having as much right to attend a mixed gym as men, they may choose not to go to the gym or exercise as a result – increasing the gender exercise gap. Amongst other factors, our women-only gym addresses this specific circumstance and provides a friendly and safe space to workout away from the male gaze.

Our DINE project also works to promote a more equitable society. As you may know, DINE is our new plant-based supper club, offering a new delicious and nutritious menu every month to anyone who wants to join us for a meal out. We run DINE on a pay what you can model, meaning people in our community who need it have the option to dine completely free or for a lower cost, while those of us with a larger disposable income can pay for the true cost of the meal or pay forward for someone else. Donations and additional payments go back into the project and support those of us struggling with a lower income or a particularly lean month to still enjoy a healthy meal out. Relying on some members of our community paying more while others pay less is a step towards building a stronger, more resilient and equitable society – aiming to address specific barriers people face to access a tasty meal out. By bringing people together through food, DINE aims to bridge inequalities through solidarity and dignity.

If you’d like to see what DINE is all about, join us next week on Wednesday 15 March where we’re joined by a guest chef (Head of Taste from Cawston Press) who’ll be cooking up a storm for us in The Bridge Kitchen.

We hope this blog has helped you to understand the difference between equality and equity. This International Women’s Day, help us to spread the word of #EmbraceEquity and speak to your friends, family, colleagues or person at the bus stop! Let’s get the conversation going and work together towards a more equitable world.

Sources

[1] https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme

[2] https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/equality

[3] https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/equity

[4] https://data.unicef.org/topic/gender/gender-disparities-in-education/#_ftn1

[5] https://www.one.org/us/blog/7-barriers-to-girls-education-you-need-to-know/

[6] www.origympersonaltrainercourses.co.uk/blog/the-gym-timidation-report-exploring-gender-experiences-in-the-gym