The Debate (no.27); Equality and Equity for a better world!!!

Creating a world that is fair for everyone is up to all of us.
Yes, you and me!

We can help by looking out for each other, showing one another respect and thinking about the different ways others may experience the world.

Source

Two words, Equality and Equity. Two words that starts with "E" but that is where it ends. They are as far apart as the sun from the moon.

Let me explain,

Equality

I would say that equality is recognising that, as human beings, we all have the same value. This means, we all have the same rights, we should all receive the same level of respect, and have the same access to opportunities.

Equity

Equity is about everyone achieving equal outcomes. We all have the same value and deserve a good life, but we all start from a different place. We are also wonderfully different and experience the world in our own unique way and it's because of these differences that we sometimes need to be treated differently for us all to live safely, healthily, happily and equally.

Going further, for example Equality would be giving everyone the same type of ladder to pick mangoes at the top of a tree, then Equity would be realising not everyone can use the same type of ladder and thereby providing another way for them to reach the mangoes at the top of the tree.

Some good things about Equality and Equity

Like with all things in life there are always the good and the bad therefore we also need to look at the not so good aspects of both these words.

Some not so good things about Equality and Equity

Of importance is to remember the people are are inherently different in terms of abilities, interest, and circumstances therefore not everybody will act in the same manner.

Source

I will explain my opinion on this with an experience I had back in school, this experience really shaped my thinking about equity and equality. Though both are necessary, but equity should be prioritized to make the world a better place.

"We are all human beings and should be treated equally" was something that I wholeheartedly professed on a regular basis, especially when I felt disenfranchised.

Looking back, I think this sort of belief system was ingrained in me at a very young age. I remember my mother stressing the importance of sharing things equally in our household. This, it was two crackers for me,two for my brother, two for my sister etc. At pre-school this belief system was further enforced where we all got equal amounts of crayons, equal amounts of blocks etc,we were taught that "sharing is caring"....and to be caring,you had to share equally.

Fast forward to University level,I now had a visualy impaired course mate. Let's call her Vera. My history lecturer would always give Vera an extra day to do her assignments. Therefore whenever we got an overnight assignment,Vera would always get two nights to finish her assignments.

This made all other students mad because to us, this was not at all fair. Finally one brave student decided to tackle our lecturer about this injustice. He was amazed at how insensitive we were. He took the time out to explain to us that while it was incredibly easy for us to read through our textbooks,notes and online sources,Vera was not so lucky.

Basically she needs an aide (her parents or siblings)to assist her with every step of the process ranging from reading the question (assignments were printed out for her) to typing the paper, now for some reasons,we hadn't thought about how much more difficult it was for Vera to do simple things that we took for granted. That's where equity comes in.

In conclusion, both Equality and Equity are important concepts that play distinct roles in promoting progress and well-being in society.

Neither equality nor equity is inherently worse for the progress of humanity. In fact,a combination of both principles can be beneficial for fostering a more just and inclusive society.

    Thanks for reading through

I am inviting @patjewell, @okere-blessing and @shiftitamanna