Gender Equity vs. Equality

Although these terms sound very similar, it's important to realize the differences. Gender equality is making sure that all genders have the same access to opportunities- for example, a company could be supporting gender equality when they have a 50/50 split on men and women in the office.

Gender equity is a topic that is becoming more mainstream, however, and for good reason. Equity is when different services are provided in order for all genders to succeed. In a gender equitable workplace, the 50/50 split in men and women may still exist, but that follows into leadership roles and ensuring that women have extra space to speak, as studies have shown that they are most spoken over during meetings.

Moving into even more modern times, however, gender equity becomes much more complicated: how are trans people affected in the workplace? Are they given equal space to speak and tell their story- and are others choosing to listen? What about gender non conforming individuals?

This battle is being fought daily by many people in the workplace, and while there are some companies keeping up with changing times, many more are falling behind. As a popular TikTok post shows, gender equity does not mean that women are allowed to exist in male-dominated spaces, but they should also be respected for choosing to express themselves how they want to. In the post, a woman sits in class knitting while wearing "goth" or "alt" clothing- and demands respect from her classmakes who are laughing at her.