The various dimensions of equality

Introduction

Equality is a powerful moral and political ideal, implicit in all faiths that proclaim human beings to be the creation of God, and the rallying cry of the French revolutionaries and of anti-colonial struggles in Asia and Africa. Because inequality takes several forms, equality has several dimensions.

Meaning of equality

As a political ideal equality means that all human beings have equal worth regardless of colour, gender, race or nationality, and deserve equal consideration and respect because of their common humanity. That does not mean identical treatment in every respect: society divides work and functions, and differences of status or reward that follow from it may be acceptable, as long as privileges are not misused. What the ideal rules out is treatment or opportunity that is pre-determined by birth or social circumstance, such as religion, race, caste or gender. A distinction is often drawn between natural inequalities (of talent and capability) and socially produced ones (from unequal opportunity or exploitation); but the line is not always clear, since inequalities long in place were often defended as natural (women as the weaker sex, black people as inferior) and have since been seen as products of power. Many theorists therefore prefer to distinguish inequalities that arise from our choices from those that arise from the family or circumstances into which we are born, and it is the latter that advocates of equality want to reduce.

Dimensions of equality

NCERT identifies three main dimensions: political, social and economic.

1. Political equality means equal citizenship for all members of the state, with the rights that go with it: the right to vote, freedom of expression, movement, association and belief. These are legal rights, guaranteed by the constitution and laws. It is an important component of an egalitarian society, but considerable inequality can persist where all citizens have equal rights, because of differences in resources and opportunities.
2. Social equality requires that people of different groups and communities have a fair and equal chance to compete for the goods and opportunities that society offers. That means minimising the effects of social and economic inequalities and guaranteeing minimum conditions of life: adequate health care, good education, adequate nourishment and a minimum wage. Where it is missing, a huge pool of talent is wasted. In India customs also create obstacles, for example denial of equal inheritance rights to women in some groups.
3. Economic equality exists to the degree that wealth, property or income are not widely different between individuals or classes. It can be measured by the gap between richest and poorest, or by the number below the poverty line. Absolute equality has probably never existed; most democracies try instead to make equal opportunities available. Entrenched inequalities, which remain untouched across generations, are especially dangerous: they divide society into classes and breed resentment and sometimes violence.

Other dimensions. Feminists point to gender inequality, which they trace to patriarchy; Rammanohar Lohia named five inequalities (gender, colour, caste, colonial rule and economic inequality) that must be fought together, with two further revolutions for civil liberties and non-violence. Marxists and liberals differ on how the dimensions are linked: for Marxists economic inequality supports the other forms and so public control of key resources is needed, whereas liberals hold that the three need not be linked and should each be tackled by suitable strategies.

Promoting equality: formal equality, differential treatment, affirmative action

The first step is to end the formal system of inequality and privilege: laws and customs which denied the poor the vote, kept women out of professions or confined lower castes to manual labour. The Indian Constitution bars discrimination against citizens on grounds such as religion, race, caste, sex and birthplace, and abolishes untouchability. But formal equality, or equality before the law, is necessary and not sufficient: sometimes people must be treated differently if they are to enjoy equal rights, for example ramps for the disabled or protection for women working night shifts. Such measures enhance equality instead of infringing it. Affirmative action goes further. It rests on the idea that establishing formal equality by law is not enough to remove deeply rooted inequality, so positive measures are needed to correct the cumulative effect of past inequality, from scholarships and hostels to reserved seats in education and jobs. It is meant to be temporary or time-bound. Critics say reservations amount to reverse discrimination and treat people differently on grounds of caste, which may reinforce prejudice. Most theorists, however, accept the goal of equal opportunity and dispute only the policies by which to reach it, such as reserved seats versus special facilities from an early age, and whether to identify the deprived by economic or caste criteria.

Conclusion

Equality has political, social and economic dimensions, and each needs its own measures; political equality without the other two leaves much inequality untouched. A society moves towards equality when it removes formal privilege, secures minimum conditions of life and equal opportunity, and tackles entrenched economic and social hierarchies.