BY: RAHIMAT
We hear many time the word equality, but in real life, equality does not always mean fairness. Especially in rural areas, treating everyone the same does not solve real problems. This is where equity is more important.
Equality means giving the same thing to everyone.
Equity means giving what someone actually needs and the quantity they required.
In many rural communities, girls and women’s suffer from the lack of nutrition. This is very common among vulnerable groups like children, adolescent girls, and pregnant women. Their bodies need more care and nutrition, but most of the time, they receive the less.
In many households, women and girls do all the household work from early morning till night. But when it comes to food, they eat after the male members of the family. Many times, they eat only what is left. If food is less on that day, women and girls are the ones who sleep hungry.
In such situations, saying “everyone gets the same food” is called equality. But it is not fair. A pregnant woman, an adolescent girl, or children under 5 need more nutrition but in most situations this age group is ignored. This is where equality fails.
Equity means understanding needs.
It means ensuring that girls and women get enough nutritious food because their bodies demand it. It means prioritizing nutrition for those who are at higher risk, instead of treating everyone the same or equally.
When we talk about nutrition in rural areas, equity matters more than equality. Without equity, girls remain weak, health problems continue, and the cycle of inequality and malnutrition never breaks.
If we truly want development, we must move beyond equality and start practicing equity especially for girls and women, whose health, affects not only them but also the future generations.
Equity represents Dignity