Equity Vs Equality: 20 differences !

Equality Vs Equity — Source: ANGUS MAGUIRE // INTERACTION INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

Terminologically, ‘equity‘ and ‘equality’ sounds similar while hearing or reading it for the first time. But actually, they are just homophones (i.e. sounds similar but with different meaning and different spelling).

Conceptually, ‘equity’ and ‘equality’ are completely different to one another. Moreover, the difference between equity and equality helps us to understand the notion of social justice, social equity, social inclusion, racial justice and social security.

So, let us compare equity Vs equality.

Table of Contents

Differences Between Equity and Equality are:

Equity	Equality
The term ‘equity’ refers to fairness and justice.	The term ‘equality’ refers to equal opportunity, equal access, equal treatment, equal sharing and division i.e. keeping everyone at the same level.
Equity= Fairness and justice. It is about taking rationale and logical decision.	Equality= Sameness. It is mainly about treating everyone equally irrespective of being rationale or not.
Equity focuses on individual needs and requirement. Thus, it is also known as a need- based approach.	According to Equality and Human Rights Commission, equality means “ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents.”
Equity is about giving people what they need.	Equality is not affected by the need of the people or society. Equality gives same thing to all the people, irrespective of their need and demand.
It focuses on giving more to those who need more and less to those who need less.	Here, an individual will only get what everyone else gets.
Equity is positive discrimination. It refers to proportional representation (by race, gender, class etc.) to achieve a fair outcome.	Equality might give rise to negative discrimination. It does not follow proportionality in representation.
Equity is the means to reach to equality.	Equality is the outcome/end result/end goal of the process.
In equitable approach, people are treated fairly but differently.	In equality approach, people are treated equally but may be unfairly.
Equity focuses and stresses on social justice, racial justice, social inclusion and social change.	Equality does not focus on social and racial justice. Rather, it creates systemic barrier for social inclusion and social security.
Equity is subjective. It differs from situation to situation and from person to person.	Equality is measurable. It does not vary and neither matter whoever looks at it.
Equity respects individual differences and diversity.	Equality does not give enough value to individual differences and diversity.
Equity justifies things on the basis of quality.	Equality justifies things on the basis of quantity.
It identifies the differences and tries to reduce the gap between the groups or race.	It is not concerned with the differences or gap between two or more groups or race.
Equity cannot be achieved through equality.	Equality can be achieved through equity.
Proper analysis of the existing situation is needed to practice equity approach.	No such analysis is needed is needed to practice equality approach.
Equity principle works even if people do not start from the same point.	Equality principle can only work if everyone starts from the same place.
Principle of equity is mainly prioritized by the government in its public policy and guiding documents.	Principle of equality is usually practiced by most of the private organizations and agencies.
While following the principle of equity, different instruction and action is taken for people of different race, gender or group.	While following the principle of equality, there is no differentiated instruction for people of different race, gender or group.
Equity practitioners believe in equitable resource allocation and thus looks everyone differently.	Equality practitioners believe in equal resource allocation and thus does not look anyone differently.
Lack of equity i.e. inequity undermines social justice and fairness.	Inequality does not always undermine social justice and fairness. However, it might compromise with the actual need of the people/society.
Inequity is worse to equality.	Inequality is better than inequity.
Example of gender equity: Giving more nutritious and additional quantity of food to the pregnant and lactating (breastfeeding) women and adolescent girls, based on their dietary requirement.	Example of gender equality: Giving equal quantity of food to all the family members including pregnant and lactating (breastfeeding) women, and adolescent girls, irrespective of their nutritional requirement and need.
Example of education equity: Arranging extra classes and giving special attention to the academically weak student in order reduce his/her existing educational achievement gap and improve his/her education and classroom/school performance. This will ultimately help the individual student to reach his/her fullest potential.	Example of education equality: Giving equal attention and equal effort by the teacher to all the student in the classroom/ school OR arranging extra classes for all the student irrespective of their exam grades, marks and classroom/school performance.
Example of resource equity: When distributing a pair of shoes to the football players, giving a right pair of shoes to all the players as per their feet size.	Example of resource equality: When distributing a pair of shoes to the football players, giving same size of shoes to all the players without any concern to their feet size.
Example of workplace equity: Difference in salary, benefits and rewards to the employees as per their work performance, expertise and specialty.	Example of workplace equality: Same salary, benefits and rewards to all the employees irrespective of the difference in their work performance.

Conclusion:

Equality is the end result that we all seek to achieve. But, to get there, we must first ensure equity. Equity ensures that those people who are behind (socially, economically, politically, geographically etc.) others get a little bit of extra support and push so that they can reach to their fullest potential and stand on a equal ground with everyone. Therefore, although equity and equality are meaningfully different to each other, they are also deeply inter-related with each other.