YWCA Central Carolinas has proudly done Racial Justice & Advocacy work in the Charlotte community for 119 years and counting. With our programs, events, and advocacy there’s a lot of terminology thrown around and we want to make sure that all YWCA supporters know what they mean.
Today’s terms are equality and equity and the difference between the two. While these two terms are both widely used, some may confuse them and use them interchangeably.
Equality generally refers to equal opportunities and the same levels of support for all segments of society. Equity goes a step further and refers to offering varying levels of support depending upon the need to achieve greater fairness of outcomes. (Source)
While both equality and equity aim for fairness, equality treats people as if they are the same while equity recognizes that treating people as if they are the same does not mean treating them fairly
To further your understanding of this topic, we recommend reading What is Racial Equity?, an article written by the Center For Social Inclusion.
