Equality: A By-product Of Equity?

Equality, essentially means everyone is on the same playing field. In the context of individuals in a society, this would further express itself in the form of access to resources and opportunities. But, how does one achieve equality? Giving equal treatment to individuals in our current society will lead to the welfare of those who are underprivileged, however, it will simultaneously keep increasing the privileges of those that are already privileged due to the gap that exists. A simple answer to this is equity. 

What is Equity

While equality means the same treatment for everyone, equity means the treatment of people based on their capabilities. As described by Amartya Sen, equity is “Access to resources on the basis of one’s capabilities with respect to their needs for well-being”. Giving a poor man with 5 members in his family 10kg of rice as opposed to giving a poor woman with only one other member in the family 5kg of rice, is the simplest example of equity. 

Why Do We Need Equity

When viewing equality as an end goal, equal treatment is not the answer. It may sound paradoxical, but equal treatment to achieve equality is only possible if it exists in the first place. Taking the example of gender equality in the workplace. Due to the privileges that come with being a cishet man and historical stereotypes, women face the brunt of it and do not have as many privileges as men do. Now, in order to achieve equality as an ultimate goal, it is essential that women, transgender, and nonbinary people are compensated for the losses they have faced over the decades. 

What this means, if that in current times, equal treatment is just not enough. Gender equality can only exist in the future if we start with gender equity first. This, therefore, suggests that equity is needed to undo the damage that has been done, which will then lead to equality. 

Is Equity Unfair

Equity is often deemed as undermining fairness and equality. However, this only stands true when equity is implemented incorrectly. Such a situation occurs when there is a misjudgment of a person's capabilities and needs based on access to resources.  

A classic case of equity being perceived as unfair is the reservation system in India. Reservations in their true sense are a way of promoting equity and contributing to the undoing the damage of several years on certain communities. While this system like any other comes with flaws due to factors like corruption. It is not justified to say that just giving out reservations is equality of castes in India. The argument of reservations being the absolute form of caste equality falls short when unpacking caste-based violence. Therefore, shedding light on why it is important, to begin with.  

Inferring from the above-mentioned points, it is evident that equity is an undeniable step in reaching the goal of equality. Equality can only be achieved once the gaps in access to resources and capabilities between different cohorts of people are filled.