Approaches towards Inequality and Inequity

Abstract

Inequality, in various forms, is a major source of injustice, a cause of poverty, and sometimes of conflict. Children are often the victims. This paper analyses the different concepts of inequality, in particular differentiating individual, or vertical, and group, or horizontal, inequality, and adopting a plural approach to inequality, which involves moving beyond income to include some basic capabilities such as health, education and nutrition, and also inequalities in political power and cultural status. The paper discusses what a fair, or equitable, distribution is, drawing on some contributions of Western philosophers and economists. After reviewing different approaches, it argues that inequality among groups is particularly unjust. The paper argues for a plural perspective on the space in which inequality is assessed, following Sen's capability approach. Special attention needs to be given to those capabilities which affect people's basic life chances, including health, education and nutrition. It is argued that the assessment should relate to functionings (or outcomes) rather than capabilities (or possibilities), especially for children whose choices are severely constrained. The paper includes suggestions for identifying relevant categories for measurement of horizontal inequality (HI) in particular situations and makes some proposals for the type of measurement that is appropriate. It concludes with some suggestions for UNICEF activities and for research in this area. The approach suggested in the paper-with a focus on group inequalities and on plurality of assessments-is broadly consistent with UNICEF's existing approaches to these issues.