Toolkit 4: What is the difference between equity and equality?

The objective of toolkit 4 is to introduce the principles of equity and equality as foundational concepts to applying Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus), both to be able to identify the inequalities that people may experience and potential equitable options to contribute towards equality.

Equity and equality are foundational principles to applying GBA Plus: working towards equity and equality is why we are conducting intersectional analysis in the first place.

Although equity and equality are related, they are not the same.

To learn more about the differences between equity and equality, watch the microlearning video on equity and equality.

Equality and equity: self-reflection exercise

Read the CAF uniform scenario and complete the exercises.

1. Identify your unique needs with regards to wearing and maintaining the CAF uniform.
2. Review the social identity factors wheel, and explain how your unique CAF uniform needs are related to one or more of your social identity factors.

Equality and equity: Learning application

Review the steps in GBA Plus process and the video on equity and equality, then complete the exercises.

1. Identify the potential needs of military members with regards to the CAF uniforms. Explain how the members’ unique needs are related with one or more social identity factors.
2. Identify practices that could be a potential source of inequality, based on unique CAF uniform needs not being met. Which social identity factors can potential inequalities be associated with?
3. Identify equitable practices or solutions that could be considered to address the unique CAF uniform needs of members. Which social identity factors can these solutions be associated with?

Equity and equality: Reinforce learning

Read the case study vignettes on planning for equity in evacuation missions and complete the exercises below.

There has been an increasing demand on the CAF during the last decade to respond to natural disasters and extreme weather events across Canada. As natural disasters increase in frequency and magnitude due to forces associated with climate change, so too do domestic operations increase as part of Operation LENTUS.

Evacuating and transporting people to safety is one of the tasks that CAF operations respond to, not only in the context of domestic responses to natural disasters, but also in humanitarian crises abroad.

Case study vignettes: planning for equity in evacuation missions

First Nations communities in Ontario	On June 22, 2023, the Request for Assistance (RFA) from the province of Ontario for support with the evacuation of the First Nations communities of Fort Albany and Kashechewan was approved by the Minister of Emergency Preparedness. In response, Joint Task Force Central (JTFC) activated approximately 30 members of 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group in the First Nation communities of Fort Albany and Kashechewan, to assist with the evacuation, in partnership with other government departments and local agencies.
First Nation community in Eastmain, Quebec	On Friday, July 14, 2023, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness approved a Request for Assistance (RFA) from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and requested DND/CAF provide support to ISC as it managed the evacuation of the First Nations community of Eastmain, Québec. This RFA was approved for a period of one week. The CAF was asked to provide airlift assistance for mobility and logistical tasks, as well as emergency evacuations in the region. Four CH-147 Chinook helicopters from 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron in Petawawa, Ontario, as well as One CC-130J Hercules from 436 Transport Squadron in Trenton, Ontario were provided in order to fill these tasks. During this mission, the CAF evacuated more than 500 civilians and moved 27,350 lbs of cargo. The CAF’s support to the RFA ended on July 21 and the members returned to their home bases.
Residents of Northwest Territories	On August 12, 2023, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness approved a Request for Assistance (RFA) from The Northwest Territories and requested DND/CAF provide support to the territory as it managed its wildfire situation. The RFA was granted for the two-week period of August 15 to August 29, 2023. On August 16 residents of the city of Yellowknife were told to evacuate due to the wildfire risk. The CAF assisted with this evacuation with specialized capabilities. In total the CAF evacuated 158 people. After a one-week extension, the CAF’s support to the RFA ended on Tuesday, September 5, and at its height consisted of approximately 350 members.
Residents of British Columbia	On August 20, 2023, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness approved a Request for Assistance (RFA) from the province of British Columbia for a period of two weeks. The government of British Columbia requested assistance to perform Type III firefighting support tasks, which was approved by the Ministers of Public Safety and National Defence on August 25, 2023. Extended for another two weeks, this RFA included approximately 180 CAF personnel conducting Type III firefighting, logistical support, and evacuation assistance in the vicinities of Vanderhoof, Manson Creek, Prince George, and Vernon. On September 15 the CAF support to the RFA officially ended.
Canadian citizens and eligible Afghans in Afghanistan	Operation AEGIS was the CAF’s contribution to Canada’s effort to evacuate Canadian citizens and Afghans eligible for resettlement between July 30 and August 27, 2021. The CAF provided strategic airlift, aircraft, aircrew, and support staff who worked around the clock to help evacuate Kabul. Across the region, approximately 555 CAF members directly supported the evacuation efforts. Alongside partnering government departments and allies, the CAF had to remain nimble and adapt to an ever-changing environment to evacuate as many people as possible. OP AEGIS was successful in evacuating approximately 3,700 people from Kabul between August 4 and August 26, 2021, the majority of whom were transported on CAF flights.

1. Review the social identity factors wheel, then identify some of the relevant social identity factors to consider when engaging in an evacuation mission. Explain how the social identity factors might change between domestic missions and international missions.
2. Review the intersectionality overview, then select two social identity factors that the CAF may engage with during evacuation missions, and identify the group memberships that relate to each social identity factor. Explain how these group memberships might show up/appear during an evacuation mission. For example, are there social norms, expectations or hierarchies to observe?
   • Remember: Group membership is being a part of a work unit or a family unit, a community, a network, or a peer group. Group memberships can be formal or informal, have its own hierarchy or ranking order, and expected behaviours known as ‘social norms.’
3. Recalling the intersectionality overview, identify the potential institutional powers involved in evacuation missions that could affect the two social identity factors used above.
   1. Which applicable laws or policies would influence/direct the CAF’s interactions with the population being evacuated?
   2. Describe the relationship or interaction (current and/or historical) between the people and communities being evacuated who share that social identity factor and government institutions, such as DND/CAF.
   • Remember: Institutional power is the ability or authority of institutions or organizations, such as departments or governments, to decide what is best for people. This includes decisions, policies, and legislation as to who will have access to resources, or not, and what is allowed, accepted, or is considered the norm.
4. Recalling the intersectionality overview, identify the systems of power (in particular, prejudice and discrimination), involved in evacuation missions that could affect the two social identity factors used above.
   1. Do the people and communities that the CAF may engage with during evacuation missions have access to power or resources, or not?
   2. Are the populations considered part of a traditionally marginalized or disadvantaged group, or part of the dominant culture or advantaged group?
   • Remember: Systems of power include prejudice and discrimination that are often associated with social identity factors. Systems of power are the beliefs, practices, and social and cultural norms that shape people's lives. Systems of power can sometimes unfairly assign who has power and who does not, based on social identity factors, directly or indirectly.
   • Remember: Prejudice refers to the negative attitudes, beliefs, and judgments about people and communities. While prejudice is the attitude, discrimination is the behaviour based upon these attitudes.
5. Review the microlearning video on equity and equality and Step 2 of the GBA Plus process, then identify the potential needs of the populations that the CAF may engage with during an evacuation mission. Describe how the potential needs of the populations correlate with one or more of their social identity factors.
6. Review Step 3 of the GBA Plus process, then explain how a ‘one-size fits all’ approach to evacuation missions could create or contribute to existing inequalities, or degrade the circumstances among populations. Identify which social identity factors may be connected with these inequalities.
7. Review Step 4 of the GBA Plus process, then identify equitable practices and solutions that could meet the specific needs of populations and address inequalities during evacuation missions. Which social identity factors can the equitable practices and solutions be connected to?

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