Kyra Morris / Informational / 23 April 2023
The difference, and why it matters in feminism.
Both equality and equity play significant roles in women’s rights, and it's important to understand the difference in order to better target reform. Equality, as defined by dictionary.com is “the state or quality of being equal,” while equity is “the quality of being fair or impartial.” While they are similar, there are a few key differences that need to be recognized.
Equality:
Equality is about making everything equal by treating everyone the same. Since equality is “one-size-fits-all,” extenuating circumstances can be disregarded, meaning that it is possible to have equality without fairness.
Equality works well if everyone has the same needs. While equality has its benefits, not everyone is the same, so equality isn’t always the most effective way to make something fair — especially when taking a large group of people, who may need help in different areas, into account.
Equity:
Unlike equality, equity is centered around fairness. When something is equitable, it is fair, although it may not be equal. The circumstances surrounding a situation are always considered when making something equitable because equity levels the playing field.
It is often more difficult to make something equitable than it is to make something equal because there’s more that needs to be considered. However, there are times where making things equal makes them fair and in these cases equality and equity are both reached at the same time.
In short, equality is giving everyone the same treatment while equity is giving everyone what they need to succeed. Although equality and equity are distinct, they are both important in the feminist movement and are applied to different situations.
“Equality is leaving the door open for anyone who has the means to approach it; equity is ensuring there is a pathway to that door for those who need it.”
–Caroline Belden (Writer, ‘The Inclusion Solution’)
Gender equality is a large goal for many feminists which includes closing the wage gap. Fighting for equal pay is an example of working towards equality because the goal is for all genders to be paid the same for the same work. According to the Pew Research Center, on average, women were payed 82% of what men were payed in 2022. That means that for every dollar a man earned, a woman would earn 82 cents. As it stands right now, pay between genders is not equal or equitable, but many people are fighting to reform gender parity in wages. If the gender pay gap does close — that is, if everyone earned the same amount of money for the same amount of work, regardless of gender — equality would be accomplished.
However, there are times when equity is strived for rather than equality, like when feminists advocate for menstrual leave (time off during menstruation). Countries such as Spain, Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia already have menstrual leave where women suffering from severe, often debilitating menstrual pain are granted time off work for one or more days a month. When people fight for menstrual leave they are aiming for equity; while menstrual leave would be fair, it wouldn't be equal because people who don’t menstruate wouldn’t get time off.
Understanding the differences and similarities between equality and equity is the first step in working towards a more just world. Once feminists decide whether they’re striving for equality or equity, they have a better idea of what goal they are trying to achieve and how to go about achieving it.
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