When I first heard what the theme was for International Women’s Day, I had to look up the meaning on the IWD website. To me equity was to do with money or houses, not the starting point to providing the equality needed in our society.

Equity means providing equal opportunities based on the individual needs of each person, rather than providing all with the exact same opportunities; for some this won’t actually provide them with what they need to succeed. An example on the IWD website is “Imagine that you are babysitting two children, and they are hungry. You go to the fruit bowl, and you start to pick up two apples to give to the children. However, you remember at the last moment that one of the children is allergic to apples. Instead, you reach for one apple and one banana, and that way you’re being fair. You still give one piece of fruit to each child, but you’re also being equitable because you’re giving each child a legitimate way of satisfying their hunger.” When you apply this to other scenarios, some might see it as not being fair because everyone should have the same, surely?

But not everyone starts out life in the same place or with equal opportunities, so it won’t work if we haven’t all had the same to start with. Take a look at the bigger picture and instead of thinking about what is being changed for you, look at how changes you make can impact other lives. There are still prospects out there for us all, you just might need to look in a different place.

I recently read this quote in a book and I had to read it a few times to let it sink in as it just sat so true with me, ‘When you have everything, someone else getting a little something feels like they’re stealing from you’. To me, it doesn’t justify the attitude some have towards equality, but it did make me think about why others think negatively towards it and why they push back, I imagine I would also struggle with this kind of change if it appeared in my life too. We can all struggle with change whether it’s positive or negative; but it’s not about 1 persons feelings, there’s a whole world to consider and at the moment not everyone in our world is given the same chances. Shouldn’t everyone be able to have the same opportunities in life if they want them?

I would certainly consider myself a feminist, which for those that don’t know, means the public support of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes, so basically you want equal rights for everyone – so we should all be feminists! I do my best to incorporate it into my life as well as challenging others beliefs and how they think. Everyone can play a part in being an ally; challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, listen, educate yourself. Nobody is and needs to be perfect, you just have to try.

This is why I support International Women’s Day and all the good it does for empowering the female population in all walks of life. We can’t continue to make the world a better place for everyone if we’re not providing all with the same opportunities.

The advancement of women is imperative for humanity; we are 50% of the population after all…

#EmbraceEquity