We explain what difference there is between equality and equity, their similarities, objectives, what factors they take into account and various examples.
What is the difference between equality and equity?
The terms equality and equity are often confused, although they refer to totally different meanings: equality implies giving everyone the same, without any distinction of their situation; while equity proposes to give everyone what they need so that you can aspire to the same as others.
Defined a little more formally, equality (from the Latin aequalitas, “Flat”, “balanced”) consists of equating the criteria for all people, whether we talk about obligations, rights or benefits, and so on.
For example, there is a principle of “equality before the law” within modern justice, as all citizens must, in equal measure, be accountable to and be judged by the law, regardless of who they are. This means that a rich man and a poor man, a man and a woman, a president and a street sweeper, are ideally judged in the same way, always adhering to what the law establishes, without concessions.
For its part, equity (from the Latin aequivalens, “Neutral”, “impartial”) consists of using the necessary criteria so that each person receives what they deserve, that is, to exercise justice and be fair and equitable.
Equity assumes, for example, that all citizens must pay taxes, but not to the same exact extent, but rather that the tax is calculated based on a percentage system that allows the poor to pay less than the rich, since they have less. money and less economic capabilities. Thus, the tax system is carried out in a more equitable way, which does not favor anyone and does not cause injustice.
In this way, the differences between equality and equity can be summarized as:
| Equality | Equity |
| It proposes the same criterion for all subjects in whatever field. | It proposes a criterion adapted to the possibilities of each subject in whatever field. |
| Its objective is to achieve justice, to the extent that the same criteria are used to judge all cases. | Its purpose is to achieve justice, to the extent that adequate criteria are used to judge each particular case. |
| It does not take into account the personal peculiarities or the singularities of each case. | It takes into account precisely the particularities and singularities of each case. |
| An example of this is gender equality: the possibility that people of different genders are allowed the same opportunities for employment, study, etc. | An example of this is gender equity: the possibility of compensating for past discrimination by reserving a quota for traditionally disadvantaged genders. |