Today is International Women's Day

Every year on March 8^th International Women’s Day is celebrated globally to mark the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women across the world.

This year’s theme is #EmbraceEquity, which aims to get the world talking about why equal opportunities is not enough. It recognises that everyone starts from a different place, so to be truly inclusive we need to be more equitable.

Equality versus Equity: What's the difference as we #EmbraceEquity for IWD 2023 and beyond?

The words equity and equality are often used interchangeably.

Etymologically, the root word they share is aequus, meaning “even” or “fair” or “equal” - which led to equity being from the Latin aequitas, and equality from aequalitas. Yet, despite these similarities, equity and equality are inherently different concepts, and the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme seeks to help forge worldwide conversation about this important issue and its impact.

So, what's the difference between equity and equality - and why is it important to understand, acknowledge and value this?

The IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme seeks to get the world talking about why "equal opportunities are no longer enough" - and can in fact be exclusionary, rather than inclusive.

Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.
Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.

The International Women’s Day website is full of further information and resources, and we would encourage you to visit the site when you have a spare moment, whether you identify as a woman or if you are a valuable ally.

The All Women in EEAST (AWE) network has been working towards helping EEAST become a more equitable employer, with work on areas such as breast feeding and menopause. You can join the network or find out more information by emailing AWE@eastamb.nhs.uk.

Published 8th March 2023