International Women’s Day – March 8
“Equality is giving everyone a shoe. Equity is giving everyone a shoe that fits.” – Susan K Gardner, Dean, College of Education, Oregon State University
Since there are just a couple of days to go before International Women’s Day(IWD), activists have started rallying for issues like women empowerment and more equal rights – from pay disparities to gender equality. However, the United Nations, with its theme ‘Embrace Equity’ for this year, seems to have addressed an issue that has long been ignored.
People often mix up equity with equality and even use them interchangeably. But two have significant differences. Equality means the same resources or opportunities to a group or individual whereas equity is about allocation of exact resources and opportunities required to reach an equal outcome.
To discuss more about this year’s IWD theme and other issues of women, Sunday POST caught up with a few empowered women of the state. Here’s what they have to share.
For Sruti Mohapatra, an Indian disability rights activist who received Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2022 by the President, ‘Embrace Equity’ is a powerful topic.
She says, “In the last 25 years or so, I have shifted from equality towards fairness. Equality occurs when we receive and give the same item to everyone. However, equity is when you provide facilities based on the needs of an individual. When we shift from equality to equity, we establish a level playing field and provide opportunities based on a person’s needs.”
Sruti believes that women with disabilities are often discriminated against. “For example, when I was disqualified in interviews and deprived of lectureships, and many such employment opportunities, it wasn’t because I was less qualified; it was because the assumption was that if I am considered for the job, how would they accommodate my wheelchair? So, there was no equity at that time.” she adds.
For the uninitiated, Sruti wanted to become a civil servant after clearing her UPSC about three decades ago. But she injured her spinal cord in a car accident and was denied her favourite job. Since then, the proud wheelchair user has been campaigning for disability rights.
Men and women are not distinct beings. Moreover, they are two halves of the same thing named life. They are thus two components of vitality and existence, she says.
Women will not be subjected to as much abuse or brutality as they are facing now if they amp up their inner strength, courage and boldness, concludes Sruti, a revered name in Odisha for being a winner through adversities.
According to Rutuparna Mohanty, a social activist, human rights lawyer, and women’s rights activist, equity is a broad concept and everyone should embrace it following the UN’s call.
“Women face prejudice in all spheres of life despite having the aptitude and that has to be addressed. Women are now in positions which were traditionally all-male bastions. So, I always believe that a woman is more powerful than a man because of her unique ability to carry a life within and playing an important role in the survival of human race. Everyone should view women on an equitable footing, hence the IWD theme ‘Embrace Equity’. We are all equal, and there shouldn’t be a distinction between man and woman,” she points out.
Rutuparna, also a family court lawyer, has a piece of advice for the women as well. “While enjoying freedom, young women shouldn’t forget about their responsibilities. As a family court lawyer I have observed that many women don’t have much interest in starting a family which is the primary cause behind rising cases of divorce. As I mentioned earlier, creating a new life is what makes a woman different from a man and they should enjoy the power bestowed upon them by the creator.”
When I read the words ‘Embrace Equity’, I wondered what it is like? says Mamata Tripathy, actress, singer and researcher.
“So I searched for the real meaning and discovered that equality and justice are not the same. Giving equal opportunities to women is not sufficient. There is a need to give someone what he or she needs to be successful. Giving everyone the same thing and expecting them to become equal is a wrong assumption which has been addressed by the UN in this year’s IWD theme,” she says.
Mamata, moreover, believes that all women are born with the special ability of ‘child bearing’ capacity which the men don’t have. So, a woman is much above a man in that parameter. Therefore, a woman shouldn’t be compared with a man, she quips while lamenting that many parents often treat their sons and daughters differently.
Defining freedom of women in Indian society, she says, “Just wearing a bikini is not an indication of personal growth. Wearing it is not bad, but how beautifully one carries it is what matters. It also matters a lot how a woman talks and conducts herself in public or how gracefully she presents herself to make a statement about herself.”
Namrata Chadha, a social activist, ex-member of the Odisha State Women’s Commission, and a strong voice for women empowerment and against gender inequality sharing her thoughts, states that IWD was a very significant day for her when she was younger. She enjoyed celebrating and commemorating that day.
“But as I got older and witnessed more violence against women, I realised that celebrating just a single day is not important. Every day is a woman’s day, and we need to take care of women every day,” she says.
On the matter of equality she says: “Nobody, in my view, is equal in our society; there is always a class system. Men and women are unique individuals with distinct characteristics. We should neither change nor pursue the stereotyping position. Given the opportunity, men will help in kitchen chores, and women will go beyond the four walls of a house. So it’s a matter of opportunities, opportunities you’re being offered in life, and it’s a process of slow evolution to attain that.”