Change Your World Week Winter 2022 (Archived)

Whenever Equity is mentioned Equality is brought up as well, is there a difference between the two? They sound the same and are similar in writing as well, and they tackle the same issues.

The difference between them is in how each concept approaches and solves the issue at hand.

Equality means treating everyone in the organization the same without discrimination, such as taking into account someone's sex, religion, ethnic background, sexuality, or disability status. It also seeks to provide each individual (student or employee) with the same resource opportunities.

Equity seeks to identify and address the differences between individuals and will level the playing field to ensure each individual has the same opportunity as any other individual.

Below is an image showing the concept in visional media.

Equity ensures that every individual has the resources or opportunities to reach their full potential. In short, it creates a path from hope to change.

Equity can be applied to three different areas, Education, the Work environment, and Social.

Equity in the education system is important because it strives for the student to receive opportunities and resources that might not receive normally, in doing so it helps prevent a student from having a negative educational experience and potential not being able to go for the career that they desire. 

Education Factually can take steps to ensure Equity in the classroom. 

Providing Targeted support, such as helping ESL students by speaking in their native language, providing text to speech for the visually impaired, and providing a quiet space for ADHD students.

An environment of Equity promotes

Creativity, Motivation, Deeper Learning, Critical thinking, and Problem-solving skills

Equity in the workplace is a process that ensures that every employee within an organization is at the same level of a playing field regardless of background, country of origin, physical or mental ability, or sexual orientation. This way every individual's voice is taken into account and heard.

A business focused on Equity improves the quality of life and satisfaction of the employees.

Benefits of Equity in the workplace

Enable Targeted Upskilling--  training will be made to each individual's training needs.

Boosting Engagement-- because training will be custom per employee, it will naturally increase engagement

Strengthening your employer's brand-- which equity as a commitment you can show diverse candidates that your company is a great place to work.

Social Equity as defined by the National Academy of Public Administration, is "the fair, just and equitable management of all institutions serving the public directly or by contract; and equitable distribution of public services, and implementation of public policy; and the commitment to promote fairness, justice, and equity in the formation of public policy."

Some examples of Social Equity would be a county school district allocating significant funds towards replacing an old school with a newer building, and giving a recently built school fewer funds since it would needless to fix its maintenance issues.

Another example would be moving funds from a more wealthy neighborhood that already has safe roads, and transportation infrastructure in place such as a metro line, and using those funds to provide a poor neighborhood with better roads, and maybe even building a metro stop so they don't have to walk as far to use the service.

The ultimate goal of equity is to reach what is called Justice, its where the iniquity was addressed and the systemic barrier has been removed allowing the individual to pursue their goals without the need for addition support.

https://www.diffen.com/difference/Image:Equality-equity-justice-lores.png

https://recruitee.com/articles/equity-in-workplace#:~:text=at%20your%20organization.-,What%20is%20equity%20in%20the%20workplace%3F,or%20gender%20or%20sexual%20orientation.

https://www.positiveaction.net/blog/equity-in-education

https://brothersacademy.org/equity-in-education/

https://www.mobilizegreen.org/blog/2018/9/30/environmental-equity-vs-environmental-justice-whats-the-difference

https://www.broward.org/Climate/Documents/EquityHandout_082019.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjrFnmeGtL8