The Sunday Mail
Changing Perspectives
Rutendo Gwatidzo
HAPPY women’s month to all women once again!
I would like to continue appreciating women who positively impacted my life, plus the lives of many other women.
Last week, I mentioned some and today special mention goes to Mandas Marikanda, Esther Antonio, Imelda Tsumba, Sheree Shereni and Gaolatlhe Gwindi.
It is my hope that, as I do this, every reader of this article does the same, and by the end of the month, we would have built a culture that is conducive for women empowerment. Sometimes, all that is needed are simple things like empowering others through appreciating and acknowledging them.
For a long time, culture dictated that people would only say positive things about a person after they died. I am glad the culture continues to shift towards appreciating people while they are still alive.
Equity not equality!
The theme for women’s month this year is #Embrace Equity. There is a difference between equity and equality, and often, women and men alike get it mixed up. Equity recognises that each person is different. Equity then allocates resources and opportunities according to each party’s unique needs to achieve an equal outcome.
On the other hand, equality does not look at the circumstances around each party; it just gives same resources and opportunities to everyone.
The focus is not on outcome but what has been given. In other words, equality does not care about the end result as long as you are given similar opportunities.
The danger of equality
Is it really possible that everyone can become equal?
By nature, we all possess different traits that naturally distinguish us before we even talk of anything else. We are also born under different circumstances and by different people. I strongly believe that pursuing equality is like chasing the wind because certain things will remain unequal.
Pushing for equality compels people to operate in unhealthy competition that can be very detrimental.
Come to think of it, how do you equate the value of a house in a low-density area to that of a house in a high-density area? The only thing that can happen is that the people from these two places may eat the same food, have similar furniture, drive same cars and many more.
It is true that one can build a house in a high-density area similar to that in the low-density zone.
However, the value of the houses still remains different. Life is like that; certain things remain unequal but they should not be looked at negatively.
Benefits of equity
The beauty of equity is that your different state enables you to have access to similar resources and opportunities so that you become the best version of yourself.
You do not necessarily need to be at an equal level with everyone, but you can reach your maximum potential, which might be different from others.
Equity promotes collaboration, as people put their different skills together to achieve one common goal. Equity gives everyone what they need to be successful in what they do best, not necessarily to be equal to others. We all have dreams, and not all of them are similar.
We all desire to be somewhere and that place is not always similar. Equity will help us achieve our different dreams, because it embraces differences and nurtures them so that they give us fulfilment.
Equity does not compare or devalue your dreams against others; it helps you to see value in what you want or whom you want to be. Equity promotes innovation, diversity and creativity. It also comes along with peace and harmony.
Organisational status
The concept of fairness is often misunderstood; many think it means giving similar resources to everyone.
Come to think of it, what a sales person requires to be effective may be a car, while a software developer may need a laptop and a caretaker may need a lawnmower.
Exercising equity or fairness is being able to give each employee what they need for them to be effective.
When an organisation focuses on equality, it probably means giving everyone a laptop when the gadget is probably not helpful to a caretaker. This is how equality tends to disappoint against equity.
Women empowerment should not focus on making women equal to men. This is where a significant number of people miss it. For starters, he is a man and she is a woman; that alone means they are different. Their management style can be different as well. All that is important is to allow them equal opportunities to resources and to different positions within the organisation, and allow them to be effective and efficient in the best way they can.
Choose wisely
Sadly, even in the home and in the family setup, the subject of women empowerment is often misunderstood or misrepresented such that a good number are negative about it, yet it should make things much better. Some women are still being sidelined when it comes to serious family issues. For instance, when it comes to marriage, some women are not allowed to have a say on certain matters.
This happens in an attempt to overpower women yet sharing ideas with them and making them see things from a different perspective can be more effective.
Equity is different from equality; choose wisely on which one you want. The two words are often used interchangeably and both are required at different stages.
However, know when to apply each of them. Be encouraged to empower as many women as you can this week and this month. Together, let us take small steps towards making the difference.
Culture is built over time; let us begin now if you had not started, and by the end of the month and year, we will enjoy the fruits.
Rutendo Gwatidzo is the managing consultant at The HUB HR Consultancy — a culture and change management organisation. She is a multi-award-winning leader as a consultant, speaker and mentor. She is also an author of the books “Born to Fight” and “Breaking the Silence”. Feedback: 0714575805/[email protected]/ Rutendo Gwatidzo official fb public page.
