Equity vs Equality and Why Leaders Need to Care about Both
The terms equity and equality are often used interchangeably and are considered similar, if not the same. This can cause confusion because while these concepts are related, there are also important distinctions between them. I am aiming to make this more understandable for leaders who grapple with inequity and unfairness in their systems and are wanting to be fair.
Understanding the differences between equity and equality help us recognise and respond to biases in processes, programs and systems that might be unfair, avoidable and changeable.
Equality is the right of different groups of people to have a similar social position and receive the same treatment.
Equity is a situation where everyone is treated fairly and equally.
And here's our problem in a nutshell; equality is meant for everyone, but it's not accessible to everyone.
If we only cared about equality, you can see we have a rather big hump to get over to equity. Equality can assume that everyone gets the same start and has equal opportunities to advance their lives. So, everyone would have a chance at being treated fairly and equally.
We know that's not even close to reality.
Which is why we also have to care about equity, so those who aren't likely to be treated fairly through widely accepted ways of the world, have a chance at equality and fairness.
There are groups in every society and every country that have been historically disadvantaged. They never had a chance to start at the same place as those more privileged. With disadvantaged populations getting farther away from the mainstream, those people rarely have doors open to catch up and claim their share of equality as they deserve. The effects of hundreds of years of segregation on the lines of social, racial, economic, class, political and religious differences continue on to this day in significant ways.
Therefore, societies, governments and organisations needed something more to help everyone have a fair go and be treated equally. This meant acknowledging the lack of equality to begin with and then finding ways to level the playing field through deliberate actions. The idea of equity is to understand considerable advantages of the privileged groups and address the lack of those advantages for the rest. This is a good place to start.
An easy example of equity is the income tax system in most countries. Income tax is levied based on how much a person earns. So, if you earn very little, you may end up paying no income tax. But if you were wealthy, you are likely to get taxed more (so we hope). Which then helps to create equity and those poorer don't get more poor and the rich shoulder the responsibility of paying more, which in turn pays for public services.
The fact that roads are available to everyone is a good example of equality. Or that public parks are equally available to the rich and the poor. But lack of equity prevents everyone from utilising the roads and parks for going on holidays and picnics, or owning a car, for that matter.
Another great example of equity vs equality is the medicare system. This promises everyone the same level of health care access. This sounds like equality and would work smoothly if everyone had the same health issues or fell sick as much or as little. But again, we hit the same roadblock as above when we care only for equality. Not everyone has the same health needs and some communities and populations are more likely to fall sick or have chronic health conditions which may not get addressed by a minimum health cover.
So then we have to consider equity if we are to be fair and equal to everyone. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds are also more prone to poor nutrition, homelessness, chronic health issues, lower literacy and education and lesser awareness of health. Which means, governments can't stop at providing the same medicare access to everyone. They also have to address equity which may require more support for disadvantaged communities, people with disabilities, minorities and those from historically segregated groups.
As the Pan-American Health Organisation puts it, "equity is the means, equality is the outcome".
How equity and equality play out in organisations and why leaders need to care
An important example of equality in organisations is the recruitment and equal employment opportunity policies and processes that promise everyone a fair go. But we hit a snag when organisations try to execute on this promise. A thorny issue in recruitment is systemic and often unconscious favouritism of those who are privileged and well placed to get a job compared to those less likely to receive the same opportunity. On the face of it, the recruitment processes seem fair and equal and everyone is invited. But right from where the job ads appear, the language used to describe the role and up until the interview can unwittingly favour a select few. So, while it seems equitable on the surface, it works only for those who were already well positioned to access equality and fairness to begin with.
Leaders need to be intentionally inclusive to progress from equality to equity.
Equity needs intentional efforts in recruitment and selection processes. For instance, avoid recruiting through your network or from sources and campuses that are historically over-populated with advantaged people. Avoid using language that discourages certain groups to apply and use equal and objective selection criteria for every candidate. Refuse to take references from your close allies or work with homogenous candidate pools or bypass a fair and well-planned recruitment process. Then make an effort to create inclusive job ads and also source candidates from historically disadvantaged and diverse campuses or places. And this is just a summary of what can be done to progress from equality to equity when aiming for equal opportunity and living up to the promise of everyone having a fair go.
In my workshops on Inclusive Leadership and diversity awareness, I often use this graphic to make two very important points. This always gets a great response from those attending. I interpret these graphics as caring about responsive leadership vs Inclusive Leadership. Read on to know what I mean by this. But first, take a good look at this graphic.
Source: Courtesy Advancing Equity and Inclusion: A Guide for Municipalities, by City for All Women Initiative (CAWI), Ottawa
While the last two pictures help uphold equity, the third picture can help institutionalise equity vs customise it to everyone who presents a difference. Another way of saying this is that when leaders provide supports based on differences, they are responsive in their leadership. This is a good place to start and provides a springboard to practice inclusive leadership. Inclusive Leadership, on the other hand, not only notices differences and responds to them, but also removes the systemic barriers and traditional roadblocks in the way of diversity and different kinds of people from accessing equality meant for everyone.
Broad-basing equity can make it systemic, provide a predictable environment and is easier on leaders and their diverse teams.
Bringing equality and equity together
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.” This is a great definition because it marries the ideals of both equality and equity without compromising on either. So, instead of assuming everyone is equal (which is where most equity efforts get derailed) we assume that not everyone is equal, which is why we must create and provide equal opportunities, so everyone can make the most of their lives.
This would mean that leaders work knowing the inequality inherent in the human condition. But keep striving to create systems, processes, opportunities and situations which help bridge the chasm between those likely to receive fairness and equality and those who won't.
Every time leaders create a process, ask if it will provide equality for everyone, and then make sure it also offers equity to everyone.
If the topic of understanding and building inclusion appeals to you, join me for a 60 mins webinar on 'Leading with Inclusion' - a complimentary learning opportunity on Tuesday, Nov 24, 2020 at 11:00 am ACDT.
Equality Consulting offers practical and engaging training workshops in three key areas: Leadership for New Leaders, Leading with Inclusion in Diversity and Advancing Women into Leadership. All workshops can be delivered in-person or as online programs, so your people can attend from where ever they might be. Request a personalised preview showcasing our workshops so you have a better idea.