There are many theoretical concepts that attempt to establish certain criteria when evaluating and promulgating equality between people. One of them is the concept of gender equity , which today we will try to describe and know in depth.

Equity and Gender

Fairness, justice and equality are the parts on which the concept of equity is based, on the other hand, the way to associate and group individuals who share at least one or more characteristics is gender.

Gender Equality and Equity

“The different behaviors, aspirations and needs of women and men are considered, valued and favored in the same way”

-ABC of Women Workers for Gender Equality; Geneva, 2000, pp. 47-48

Equality between men and women is protected by gender equity in the use of social services and goods . This means eliminating discrimination between the sexes and not favouring, in a preferential manner, men over women in the aspects that make up social life, as was the case, in a habitual manner, decades ago in Western society as a whole.

Conditions for Gender Equity

“The rights, responsibilities and opportunities of each will not depend on whether the person is a man or a woman”

However, for gender equity to be achieved, two essential circumstances must be created. On the one hand, equality of opportunities and on the other hand, the creation of a series of conditions to take advantage of these opportunities .

We must bear in mind that gender equity means creating standards for those opportunities that exist and distributing them fairly between both sexes . Men and women should have the same opportunities for development in all aspects; at a personal level, the opportunity to grow, fulfill oneself and be happy, as in the work environment. The state, therefore, must ensure that resources are allocated in a proportional manner.

“Men and women will be treated fairly according to their own needs. The treatment given to each may be different but equivalent in terms of rights, benefits, obligations, and opportunities”.

Gender equity at work

Women cannot be paid less than men when performing the same functions in the field of work, they must obtain the same on the basis of their merits and one gender must not be favoured over the other . Regardless of gender, equal remuneration should be received in the same job, with the same responsibilities and obligations.

An extremely important aspect must be added, equity does not mean neglecting the characteristics of each particular gender, an example of which is that women are entitled, in the same way as men, to longer maternity leave than paternity leave. In this assumption, we attend to strictly biological issues and carry out what is called positive discrimination between the two sexes .

What do we mean by affirmative action?

We will now explain a crucial concept when applying equity, namely positive discrimination or affirmative action. This term is key: it refers to the actions aimed at reducing discriminatory practices against sectors , which culturally throughout history, have been excluded and considered as uprooted and vulnerable beings.

An example would be individuals with some physical or mental disability and likewise women, who because of the influence of the Jewish-Christian and patriarchal culture, have been relegated to the category of second-class individuals. All this is even worse if, because of the gender, women also have the condition of suffering from some kind of disability, as we mentioned earlier, or any other characteristic that is culturally considered negative.

Positive discrimination is translated into specific legislation designed to equalise employment opportunities , exercise of democratic rights, participation in state institutions and government bodies, as well as access to education. All of this has required countless years of mobilization and social demands.

Examples are laws to protect women in cases of gender violence, to favour mixed education or non-segregation by sex, economic aid or tax exemptions, among other measures.

In some developed countries, the result of positive discrimination has been very effective in progressively equalizing women in the labour market.

What progress has been made on positive discrimination?

It should be noted that in order to achieve the aforementioned equity, important progress is currently being made . We find, to mention a fact, that in the Spanish state the so-called parity between men and women is being promoted in the political arena.

There are organizations that are dedicated exclusively to gender equity. These entities promote equality between men and women while advocating for women’s rights. They constantly elaborate useful political proposals to achieve equity , thus encouraging women’s presence and participation in all sectors of society.

It is interesting to recall below the most important events in relation to women’s rights and equality and equity. Such as the Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women of 1982 and recommendation 19 that clarified that violence against women is a form of discrimination. Another event would be the unprecedented mobilization in 1993 to demand the World Conference on Human Rights to take a stand in favour of their rights and which led to the creation of article 18; which reads

“The human rights of women and girls are an inalienable and indivisible part of universal human rights. The full and equal participation of women in political, civil, economic, social and cultural life and the eradication of all forms of discrimination based on sex are priority objectives of the international community”

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights” (…) “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status”

-Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Article 1 and 2.

“Spaniards are equal before the law, and no discrimination may prevail for reasons of birth, race, sex, religion, opinion or any other personal or social condition or circumstance”

-The Spanish Constitution of 1978; Article 14.