Discovering gender equality vs gender equity

One unforgettable moment in my academic life is the day my lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Abdul Nasiru made a shocking revelation on the distinction between equity and equality. His words sounded confusing at the time because until then I had known both concepts to mean the same. My inability to agree with and accept this new knowledge challenged me to do a little reading on both concepts to ascertain if indeed there was such a difference.

As I read further on the subject, I came across this fine and brilliant quote by Cynthia Silva Parker which did not only prove Dr. Nasiru right but also gave me the clearest delineation between these two concepts: equity and equality. According to Parker, “in the simplest terms, equity means fairness, which is not necessarily the same thing as equality. It’s not about everybody getting the same thing, it’s about everybody getting what they need in order to improve the quality of their situation.”

By applying Parker’s definition to the issue of gender, it was fair to conclude that there was a difference between gender equality and gender equity. Whereas gender equality may imply treating both males and females the same way, gender equity on the other hand may imply giving to both gender groups according to what they need to achieve their full potential.

From this we realize that as equality stands for evenness, equity stands for fairness. Fairness is necessary to create a level playing ground for both males and females to ensure that everybody has equal access to opportunities that can help them live up to their aspirations.I am glad to have discovered the difference between gender equity and gender equality because of the lasting impact it has had on me.

By: Christian Sackey-Acquah, 2016

Source: https://the-exploratory.org/2016/12/01/discovering-gender-equality-vs-gender-equity/