International Women’s Day 2023 is fast approaching, and this year’s theme of embracing equity is a great one. But the word ‘equity’ is still much less known and used than the phrase, ‘equality.’
In fact, you could say that using the term ‘equity’ without first explaining what it is, isn’t very equitable at all! So… what exactly is equity, then?
Equity means fairness for all – it means recognising that we do not all have the same needs or opportunities, but making changes to address those differences in a way that gives everyone the ability to reach the same playing field.
But wait! Isn’t that what equality means? Nope! Not at all.
Equality means sameness.
In an equal world, we might say everyone is equally able to use a building because every floor has a lift. But if you must use a set of stairs to enter the building, some people won’t be able to get inside the building in the first place.
Equality is when we’re given exactly the same option. But those equal options don’t consider the disadvantages we already have. 
By assuming everyone starts off with the same ability to enter the building, we’ve already excluded many people with disabilities from entering. But when we consider equity instead, we make sure the building has other access options, such as a ramp, escalator or lift.
Now that we’ve thought about the different things people need to get inside the building, those who have disabilities and those who don’t are able to enter. That’s equity.
Of course, the reality of equity is much more complicated – adding a ramp next to a set of stairs is an equitable option, but it still isn’t the best for all disabled people.
As a disabled walking-aid user without access to a wheelchair, long ramps can be just as difficult as stairs because of the amount of additional walking time required. And, because wheelchairs are expensive (another thing to think of with equity – cost), they’re difficult for a lot of people to get ahold of.
But, while there are those complications (and many more), the fact that we’re thinking about them and what solutions we can find is still thinking of equity.
The point of equity is that we know the world we live in isn’t fair and that we don’t all start out with the same opportunities.
So, by practicing equity we give people the resources they need to access opportunities on a more level playing field.
If you’re part of the GFS community, or the support sector for girls and women, we bet you’re considering equity every
day, whether you knew the exact definition of the word or not.
By design, GFS is an organisation looking to create equity for girls and young women. We already know girls and young women face struggles and barriers that boys and men do not.
And because we know this to be true, we offer girls and young women space to develop the skills they need to get on the same playing field boys and men are already on.
Of course, that isn’t to say boys and men are without their own difficulties. We know they are. And we know boys and men are deeply harmed by gender bias and stereotypes too.
But while boys and men may be facing other barriers due to lack of social equity for other parts of their identity, such as race, religion, family income, etc., their problems aren’t caused by a lack of equity for their gender.
Lack of equity between girls and boys is our starting point, but we have so much more to think on than that. We know girls from low-income families and those that qualify for free school meals are harder hit by the gender gap than girls from wealthier families.
We also know that girls of colour and those from migrant families face barriers that white English girls do not. The same is true for LGBTQ+ girls versus heterosexual girls, and disabled girls compared to girls without disabilities.
Of course, many girls have multiple protected characteristics like these. All of which come together to influence their experience of girlhood. Which is exactly why embracing equity is so important for us.
If we want to support girls, we must strive to support all girls.
Because we’re aware of the different barriers girls from different backgrounds face, we do our best to think of equity when making decisions. For example, we open our groups based on where studies, such as Plan UK’s Girls’ Rights Report, say it’s the ‘worst’ to grow up as a girl in England and Wales.
By doing so, we hope to support girls growing up in the areas with lower scores to reach the same playing field as those growing up in areas with higher scores.
There’s so much to do for girls and young women, and in the grand scheme of things, so little time before they reach womanhood themselves. So let’s be sure to always include girls and young women in discussions of gender equity, because age doesn’t exclude them from the inequality or lack of equity adult women face.
-Linsey McFadden, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Click here to find your nearest group or click here to find out more about how we make GFS safe and inclusive for all.
Leave a Reply