Embracing Equity. International Women’s Day 2023.

Equity refers to fairness and justice in the distribution of resources, opportunities, and privileges among different groups of people. It is the concept of giving everyone what they need to succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances. Equity recognises that not everyone starts from the same place, and that some groups may need more support to achieve their full potential.

Equity is often contrasted with equality, which means treating everyone the same regardless of their differences. While equality is an important value, it does not always lead to fairness or justice. For example, if the Department of Education provides the same resources to all schools, regardless of their needs, then the schools that serve disadvantaged communities may not receive enough support to provide a high-quality education to their students. In this case, equity would require providing additional resources to the schools that need them most, even if it means giving them more than other schools.

Equity is important in many areas of society, including education, healthcare, and employment. For example, in education, equity means ensuring that all students have access to high-quality education, regardless of their race, gender, income, or background. This may require providing additional resources to schools that serve disadvantaged communities, such as funding for teacher training, instructional materials, and support services.

In employment, equity means ensuring that everyone has access to equal opportunities for employment and advancement, regardless of their race, gender, or other characteristics. This may require creating policies and practices that address discrimination and bias in hiring, promotion, and pay.

Achieving equity requires recognising and addressing systemic barriers that prevent certain groups of people from accessing the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. These barriers may include discrimination, bias, and unequal access to resources such as education, healthcare, and employment. Addressing these barriers requires a multifaceted approach that involves policy changes, cultural shifts, and individual actions.

International Women’s Day is a day that celebrates women’s achievements, and it’s a day that has been celebrated for over a century. International Women’s Day is celebrated on the 8th of March every year, and it is a day to recognise the accomplishments of women in the country, as well as to highlight the challenges that still exist for women in Ireland and around the world.

The International Women’s Day 2023 theme is ‘Embracing Equity’, it seeks to get the world talking about why "equal opportunities are no longer enough" - and can in fact be exclusionary, rather than inclusive. For more information in #EmbracingEquity visit HERE .