Image Credit: International Women's Day

By Sadie Hunter

In The Loop

HUNTER: Embracing equity equates to inclusion

Mar 7, 2023 | 9:26 AM

THE THEME FOR INERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, (March 8, 2023) is #embraceequity.

I’m all about alliteration, but what does this theme really mean and why is it important?

Women make up just over half of the Canadian population yet continue to be underrepresented in political and professional leadership positions. Barriers to leadership multiply for women who face intersecting forms of discrimination such as racism, colonialism, ableism, and homophobia.

This is why the idea of embracing equity is important as it includes intersectionality, moving beyond equality. The distinction between these two terms is important in understanding the impact of policies and programs which aim to promote inclusion.

By definition, equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities – for example, everyone gets a free bus pass. Equity recognizes each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. In the bus pass example, what else might be a barrier to accessing transit? Is it the built environment? A schedule or route that doesn’t work with daycare hours? Equity would include addressing these intersecting barriers to make sure everyone can actually use the free pass.

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Equity acknowledges that people don’t begin life in the same place, and certain circumstances can make it more difficult for people to achieve the same goals.

UN Women (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women) defines gender equity as “equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities for all genders.”

It doesn’t say everyone should be the same; it says gender equality strives for a world in which a person’s rights, responsibilities and opportunities do not depend on their gender.

Equity is not a women’s issue. Equity is a human issue.

Equity makes life better for everyone.

The International Women’s Day (IWD) organization website states the aim of the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about why equal opportunities aren’t enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.

We can all challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, draw attention to bias, and seek out inclusion.

This includes gaining an understanding of how gender equality can intersect with other elements of a person’s identity to create barriers including sexuality, race, gender identity, ability, and age.

Forging gender equity isn’t limited to women solely fighting the good fight. Allies are incredibly important for the social, economic, cultural, and political advancement of women.

Why does this matter to everyone?

According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, women earn 76.8 cents per every dollar earned by men and 10 per cent of Canadian women live in poverty. Given many of these women are also mothers, this connects directly with child poverty and impacts the access the next generation has to opportunities. The gender pay gap is worse for those who face multiple barriers, including racialized women, Indigenous women, and women with disabilities.

In 2015, the UN’s Human Rights Committee raised concerns about “persisting inequalities between women and men” in Canada, including the “high level of the pay gap” and its disproportionate effect on low-income women, racialized women, and Indigenous women. The committee also highlighted the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in the public and private sectors as a persisting inequality.

Canada is currently ranked 59 globally in terms of gender representation in national parliaments with the House of Commons being 29 per cent women (as of July 2021).

UN Women states “equality between women and men is seen both as a human rights issue and as a precondition for, and indicator of, sustainable people-centered development.”

By advancing gender equality and boosting women’s workforce participation, Canada could add $150 billion to its GDP by 2026

Inequity affects many people, but historically it has most commonly marginalized communities such as women, people of color, disabled people, the economically disadvantaged, and those from the LGBTQ+ community.

The goal of equity is to change systemic and structural barriers that get in the way of people’s ability to thrive.

Increasing diverse women’s representation in leadership is key to advancing equity. With more women in these roles, there’s greater opportunity to bring a gender lens to the decisions and policies that impact our future. The next generation of girls and young women will also benefit from having diverse role models and mentors across industries and sectors.

This was one of the main reasons I decided to run for mayor – there is an entire generation of young women and girls in Kamloops who have never seen a woman in that leadership role or campaigning to serve in that role. I think it’s equally important to show women and girls it’s okay to take risks and step outside of the norm.

Every single one of us can do something to make a difference in moving towards true equity. On International Women’s Day I suggest taking some time to learn more about why equity matters and think about where you might be able to make a difference in your own life. The IWD website is a great resource for individuals, workplaces, and employers.

Our communities, workplaces, and future will be better when we all #embraceequity.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.