In an earlier post, it explains the difference between equality and equity in a general manner. In this post, I would like to take a deeper dive to digest the terms on gender equality and gender equity.
Gender Equality
It refers to equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men and girls and boys. [UN Women]
Gender equality means that men and women should have equal access to the resources, services, opportunities and rights in all aspects. Gender equality is not only a women’s issue but also applicable to men.
To clarify, the resources, rights and opportunities between the genders do not necessary need to be the same. On the contrary, the differences between the genders should be considered and put into the decision of any gender equality policies.
Gender Equity
Gender equity is the process of being fair to both men and women [UNFPA]. The Process ultimately leads to and help sustain gender equality.
In other words, equity is a process of various measures such as policy setting, capacity development, gender empowerment, resource relocation, and more. This process is an ongoing effort. Traditionally speaking, women have been in under privileged situations in most societies, therefore most of the effort are focusing on women empowerment as part of the gender equity campaign.
Fighting for gender equality should not be a tug of war. It is a process to create fairness and to empower each other. Gender differences are not the problem, rather they are the solution. Only when you bring men and women together to search for solutions, we can effectively make changes
As the UN explains it, gender equality is the state that we want to achieve ultimately. Gender equity is the process to help us get there. let’s use riding a bicycle to explain the relationship between the two. How can the wheels move the bike forward? Taaada!!! Thanks to the chain of the bike!!! If riding a bike without falling is gender equality (the goal), then the effect of moving the chain is gender equity. The chain itself won’t get us anywhere, so we have to combine the wheels (the means), the peddles (the power) , and the person (the will).
Now, it’s clear that empowerment (peddling the bike) is fundamental to gender equality. This is what we need to continue our effort on. I would like to hear your thoughts and experience on things can be done for women empowerment, or what you would like to do within your circle of influence to generate the drive to move forward the “bike”.
The UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls with the following targets :
5.1 End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation
5.3 Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation
5.4 Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate
5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life
5.6 Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences
5.A Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws
5.B Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women
5.C Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels