Gender is an analytical tool for understanding social processes.
Although the institution's policies or practices might apply to everyone, they create a distinction between groups of individuals which disadvantage one group based on shared personal characteristics of members of that group in a manner inconsistent with human dignity. To ensure fairness, measures must often be available to compensate for historical and social disadvantages disproportionately experienced by women. Equity leads to equality. They are premised on the recognition of the need to take positive steps to redress institutionalized discrimination and persistent social inequalities. In various contexts it can mean equality of opportunity, freedom from discrimination, equal treatment, equal benefit, equal status and equality of results.