What is gender equity?

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

Equity and gender

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

Equality and gender equity

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

—ABC of working women for gender equality; Geneva, 2000, p. 47-48

Equality between men and women is supported by gender equity in the use of social services and goods. This means eliminating discrimination between the sexes and not favoring, in a preferential way, men over women in the aspects that make up social life, as happened, on a regular basis, decades ago in society as a whole western.

Conditions for gender equity

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

However, for gender equality to occur, two essential circumstances must be generated. On one side, equal opportunities and, on the other hand, create a series of conditions to take advantage of these opportunities.

We must bear in mind that gender equity means creating standards for existing opportunities and distributing them fairly between both sexes. Men and women must have the same development opportunities in all aspects; On a personal level, the opportunity to grow, realize oneself and be happy, as in the workplace. The state, therefore, must ensure that resources are allocated proportionally.

“Men and women will be treated fairly according to their own needs. The treatment that is given to each one can 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 workplace, they must obtain the same according to their merits and one gender must not be favored to the detriment of the other. Regardless of gender, equal pay should be received in the same job, with the same responsibilities and obligations.

We must add an extremely important aspect, equity does not mean neglecting the characteristics of each gender in particular, an example This is why women are entitled, in the same way men, to a longer maternity leave than a paternity leave. In this case, we attend to strictly biological issues and we carry out what is called positive discrimination between the two sexes.

What do we understand by positive discrimination?

Next we will explain a crucial concept at the time of applying equity, it is the positive discrimination or affirmative action. This term is key: it refers to actions aimed at reducing discriminatory practices against sectors, that 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 in the same way women, who by reason of the influence of the Jewish-Christian culture and patriarchalThey have been relegated to the category of second-order individuals. All this is further aggravated if, because of gender, the woman also meets the condition of suffering some decrease as well mentioned or any other culturally considered characteristic negative.

Positive discrimination translates into specific legislation designed to equalize job opportunities, exercise of democratic rights, participation in state institutions and government bodies, as well as access to education. For all this, countless years of mobilizations and social demands have been necessary.

An example is the laws for the protection of women in cases of gender violence, favor mixed education or non-segregation by sex, financial 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 labor market.

What advances has positive discrimination produced?

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

There are organizations that are exclusively dedicated to gender equality. These entities promote equality between men and women while advocating for women's rights. They constantly develop useful policy propositions to achieve equity, thus favoring that women are present and participate in all sectors of society.

Next, it is interesting to recall the most important events in relation to women's rights and in terms of equality and equity. 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 of 1993 to demand that the World Conference on Human Rights that she took a position in favor of her rights and that led to the creation of article 18; That says so:

“The human rights of women and girls are an inalienable and indivisible part of universal human rights. The full participation, under conditions of equality, 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 community international"

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights" (..) "" Every person has all the rights and freedoms proclaimed in this Declaration, without any distinction of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, economic position, birth or any other condition''

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

“Spaniards are equal before the law, without any discrimination on the grounds of birth, race, sex, religion, opinion or any other personal or personal condition or circumstance Social"

—The Spanish Constitution of 1978; Article 14.