Gender Equity

Gender equity is typically understood as fair treatment of both men and women based on their needs. But, when gender equity is understood as fairness between men and women or girls and boys, those who fall outside the categories of man and woman are excluded from the discussion. Gender is fluid, meaning it evolves and changes over time, and it is socially constructed and related to how individuals identify and express their sense of self. Gender is also not captured solely through binary measures of either man or woman but includes a multitude of identities outside the traditional male and female norms. This entry explores [Page 608]how gender equity is defined and utilized in the context of postsecondary education, how gender is measured and counted, ...