Equality is not enough

Equality. Such a loaded word. A word that is thrown around so many times because it's use makes a person seem like a more sensitive person than you really are. Equality is a simple word, and yet eras have passed by as we struggle to achieve it. Maybe it's time that we take a step back and ask some important questions—Is this the right approach? Are we missing the bigger picture? Is just equality enough in this age and time?

What is equality? Equality is when everyone is treated the exact same way. It aims to achieve fairness by making sure that everyone is at the same level but often we forget that equality only makes sense if all the seven billion humans on this planet started out at the same level and need the same help! Equality in fact just maintains the divide between people because we all didn't start out the same. There are some of us who just had to reach up for the stars because we were already flying, while others could only aim for the ground as they clawed their way up from rock bottom. Equality is giving five chocolates to all the students in the class despite the race, religion, gender, etc they belong to. But in this process, you give five chocolates to those students who didn't have any and also to those who already had five chocolates. Sure we progress, but the divide remains the same.

So what can we do? What should we do if the concept that we all spent so much time over, the very essence of our Constitution, isn't working? We evolve.

Equality is not useless. But equality is the last step. We need to get everyone to the same level before we can implement equality. We need a concept that helps us bridge the gap between the sections of
society without pushing people down.

This is where equity comes in. Equity is giving everyone what they need to be successful. Although, equity seems 'unfair', it works actively to 'level the playing field' and ensure that equality can be implemented. Equity is not only giving all the students five chocolates but also giving the students who had no chocolates five more chocolates, so that everyone now has ten chocolates. Different people in the society need different aid and equity ensures that we can provide them that aid without sacrificing the ideal of equality. Equity leads to equality.

Gender equality is a huge issue these days and it makes me proud that so many people have spoken up in support of this. There are times when I cannot believe that it's 2016 and still there are parts of this world where men and women are discriminated against because of their genders. It's a slow and exhausting war that we wage to end this, and the stereotypes that have built up over the ages against each gender only hinder our progress, but we are winning. Every time a girl is educated, or a boy breaks his gender stereotypes, the nation rejoices for even though, these may be small victories, these little things will help us win the war.

Anusha Subramanian is a published author, caffeine lover and queen of procrastination.