Learn more about Equity

What is equity, anyway?

Equity is the belief that society should be free from bias or favoritism, and that people should have equal access to resources, health services, education, and opportunities. Here is an example of how equity, or its lack, impacts lives¹:

Consider two South African children born on the same day in the same year. One is black, female and born to a poor family in a rural area, while the other is white, male and born to a wealthy family in Cape Town. One child has a 7.2% chance of dying in their first year – more than twice that of the other. One can be expected to live until 68 – 18 years longer than the other. One is also likely to have 12 years of formal schooling…while the other will be lucky to have one full year in the classroom.

In each case it’s the young black female child who loses.

Schoolchildren in Cape Town, South Africa. 

Who is most affected?

Gender, economic class, ethnicity, race, culture, and age all play a part in equity. People have different priorities around how governments and businesses run, and how natural resources should be used.

Those with political and economic power have a larger say in decision-making than those who have been traditionally excluded—women, ethnic and cultural minorities, the poor, elderly, and children.

These excluded groups nevertheless face the most serious consequences of decisions that negatively affect the environment and natural resources, since they are largely dependent on natural resources for their livelihood.²

Those in power may make decisions that force them from their homes, such as the preparations for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. It is estimated that up to 1.5 million people were displaced from their homes to make way for development, often against their wishes.³

Construction workers in Beijing, China building the Water Cube, the Olympic swimming center.

And as a result of exclusion from social, educational and employment opportunities, the poor and disenfranchised are more likely to turn to violence and conflict, especially in areas with an ineffective governance system and a legacy of violence.⁴

To learn more, view these videos on gender inequality and indigenous inequality: 

Girls Are: Capable, Resilient, Inventive, Powerful, Resourceful - a video about gender inequality

UNICEF: Securing rights of minority and indigenous children - a video about indigenous inequality

Where are the consequences felt?

One way to measure equity is the Human Development Index, which ranks countries based on quality of life. In countries with a high Human Development Index, people enjoy long and healthy lives, high levels of education, and a decent standard of living.

The top five countries in terms of human development are:

• Norway
• Australia
• Iceland
• Canada
• Ireland

The lowest five countries are:

• Mali
• Central African Republic
• Sierra Leone
• Afghanistan
• Niger⁵
  
  

To see how human development levels have changed over time in different countries, see this interactive map.

Why is equity important?

When the voices of all citizens are heard, decisions made will have more legitimacy than when only a small group has a voice. The people most likely to be excluded from decision-making are those who will have to face the most serious impacts: a shortened lifespan, few education opportunities, and fewer vaccines and treatment for disease.

Citations

¹ http://go.worldbank.org/XY6WQUQOZ0

² http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTSOCIALDEVELOPMENT/Resources/
244362-1164107274725/3182370-1253125009973/Social_Equity_Considerations.pdf, page 365

³http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/eyeonasia/archives/2007/12/olympics_driving
_mass_evictions.html

⁴ http://www.gsdrc.org/docs/open/CON66.pdf

⁵ http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/