What are inequities?

Inequities are when some people get more chances or better things than others, and it’s not fair.

Imagine you and your friend both want to play on the swings at the park. But your friend gets to go first every time, even though you both arrived at the same time. That means your friend has more chances to play right away, while you have to wait. This is like inequity: one person gets more of something, and it’s not because they worked harder or needed it more.

Like Getting Different Amounts of Candy

Think about getting candy at a party. If one kid gets 10 pieces of candy and another only gets 2, just because the first kid is taller or has a bigger bag, that's inequity too! It’s not fair, and it doesn’t matter if one kid actually wants more candy than the other.

Sometimes people get more chances or better things without even trying harder. That's what inequities are like, they're unfair advantages in everyday life.

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Examples

  1. A child in a poor neighborhood doesn't have the same chance to go to college as a child in a wealthy one.
  2. Some people can afford healthy food, while others eat cheap, unhealthy meals every day.
  3. In some schools, students have brand new textbooks; in others, they share old books that are falling apart.

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