What is Equity?: Debunking Misconceptions and Promoting Inclusive Opportunities

After sharing my recent blog post, Unveiling Misconceptions: Affirmative Action, DE&I Challenges, and the Path to Genuine Diversity which aimed to clarify the misconceptions surrounding affirmative action and shed light on the Supreme Court's decision's impact on corporate DE&I, I received passionate feedback from a reader.

They expressed the belief that corporate DE&I initiatives, more specifically those aimed at empowering women, are special treatment and therefore unequal treatment. They went on to argue that such initiatives should also be illegal, and deemed unconstitutional.

Their perspective brought attention to the intense animosity surrounding equity and inspired me to embark on an exploration to gain a deeper understanding of what equity truly means and its practical significance. In this blog post, we will delve into the essence of equity, debunk misconceptions, and discuss its various applications.

To begin, let's clarify what equity actually means.

Equity, in its broadest sense, encompasses fairness, justice, and the elimination of bias and discrimination. The definition and application of equity can vary depending on the context

Here are a few commonly accepted applications of the definitions of equity:

• Fairness and Justice: Treating individuals fairly and equally according to their unique circumstances and needs. This definition recognizes that fairness may require treating people differently in order to achieve equality in outcomes.

• Leveling the Playing Field: Addressing systemic barriers and disparities that prevent certain individuals or entire groups from accessing the same opportunities as others. This application seeks to provide resources, support, and opportunities to those who have been historically disadvantaged or marginalized.

• Reducing Inequality: Reducing inequality by narrowing the gap between different social groups. This application seeks to address disparities in income, wealth, education, healthcare, etc. to ensure that everyone has a fair chance to succeed.

• Inclusive Decision-Making: Including diverse perspectives to ensure that decision-making processes takes into consideration the needs and experiences of all individuals, particularly those who have been historically marginalized or excluded.

• Social Justice: Creating a society that is fair, just, and free from discrimination. This application emphasizes the importance of equitable distribution of resources, equal rights, and opportunities for all individuals.

Differentiating Equity from Equality:

Equity is often confused with equality however, they have very different meanings.

Equality implies treating everyone the same and providing equal opportunities to all individuals while equity recognizes that not everyone starts from the same position and thus requires tailored support to achieve a level playing field.

It is crucial to understand that equity is not about favoring certain individuals or providing special treatment. Instead, it confronts the existing disparities and works towards addressing the root causes of inequality through targeted interventions that promote fairness and justice.

Several iterations of this classic image have been used to depict the difference between equity and equality as well as the importance of equity in achieving true fairness and inclusivity.

Source: http://interactioninstitute.org/illustrating-equality-vs-equity/

Significance and fairness of equity initiatives:

Now hear me out, I actually agree with my reader, that special treatment should not be equated with equal treatment. However, it's important to consider the context in which equity initiatives exist.

Equity initiatives exist to rectify historical inequities and provide opportunities for those traditionally marginalized or underrepresented. Whether it's affirmative action or corporate initiatives supporting women, their intent is to address past disadvantages, dismantle systemic barriers, and foster inclusivity.

Let's consider the impact of equity initiatives on women for a moment.

• Globally, women “are the predominant providers of informal care”. This includes support of family members with chronic medical conditions, mental illness, disabilities and the elderly (Sharma, Nidhi, 2016)

• An average of “75% of the world’s total unpaid care work is done by women”, defined as vital tasks that keep households functioning such as child care, caring for the elderly, cooking, and cleaning (McKinsey Global Institute, 2015).

• Women are estimated to do an average of 61% of housework alone. Even in Western Europe and North America, women’s share of unpaid care work is as high as 60 to 70% (Ferrant, Gaëlle, 2014).

It is a statistical fact that women globally bear the brunt of unpaid care work, hindering their participation in other activities which impacts their career advancement. It is worth noting that data exists to support gender disparities still persist in corporate leadership positions and overall representation.

Some examples of providing proactive equalized opportunity I suggest in my upcoming book “Beyond Comfort Zones: The Real-Talk Approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” include encouraging all employees to take advantage of remote working and flexible working hours, providing a list of babysitters in the area, or offering longer-term childcare options for parents who need to go on business trips or want to participate in evening team events.

Offering these benefits to all employees would not only help everyone they apply to, but they particularly level the playing field for women, who statistically speaking have a higher potential of bearing a greater share of unpaid care responsibilities.

By providing these benefits, organizations can foster an inclusive environment that enables women, who otherwise might not have been able, to fully engage in activities that enhance their visibility and create more opportunities for career advancement.

Acknowledging Imperfection and Taking Proactive Steps:

Let’s face it, achieving perfect equity and fairness is an idealistic pursuit.

It is important to recognize that there will always be instances where individuals feel offended, slighted, or where achieving a perfect balance seems elusive.

However, the impossibility should not discourage us from taking proactive steps to promote opportunities that have the potential to positively impact those who truly need them.

In Summary:

While achieving perfect equity may remain an aspiration, taking steps toward promoting equalized opportunities is essential for fostering inclusivity and reducing systemic barriers.

By making a concerted effort to understand the unique challenges individuals face and implementing measures to level the playing field (not to be mistaken for unfairly favoring specific individuals), we have the opportunity to make meaningful progress in addressing disparities and creating a more inclusive environment for everyone.

If you are passionate about driving change and want to be part of a community dedicated to promoting genuine diversity, equity, and inclusion, I invite you to join the launch team for my upcoming book "Beyond Comfort Zones: The Real-Talk Approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion"

By signing up, you'll have exclusive access to updates, early content, and opportunities to engage in thought-provoking discussions.

Together, we can break free from the limitations of shallow initiatives and embrace a long-term commitment to fostering an environment where every individual can thrive. Works Cited: 1. Sharma, Nidhi, et al. “Gender Differences in Caregiving among Family - Caregivers of People with Mental Illnesses.” World J Psychiatry, 22 Mar. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4804270/.

2. McKinsey Global Institute. “THE POWER OF PARITY: HOW ADVANCING WOMEN’S EQUALITY CAN ADD $12 TRILLION TO GLOBAL GROWTH.” Https://Www.mckinsey.com, Sept. 2015, www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Featured%20Insights/Employment%20and%20Growth/How%20a

dvancing%20womens%20equality%20can%20add%2012%20trillion%20to%20global%20growth/MGI%20

Power%20of%20parity_Full%20report_September%202015.ashx.

3. Ferrant, Gaëlle, et al. “Unpaid Care Work: The Missing Link in the Analysis of Gender Gaps in Labour Outcomes.” OECD, Dec. 2014, www.oecd.org/dev/development-gender/Unpaid_care_work.pdf.