Social equity is a concept concerned with justice and fairness in social policy. It takes into account systemic inequalities to ensure that everyone in a community has access to the same opportunities and outcomes. Social equity is different from equality, which refers to providing everyone with the same opportunities or aids, regardless of their individual needs. In contrast, social equity allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome, recognizing that each person has different circumstances.

The National Academy of Public Administration defines social equity as "the fair, just and equitable management of all institutions serving the public directly or by contract; and the fair and equitable distribution of public services, and implementation of public policy; and the commitment to promote fairness, justice and equity in the formation of public policy".

Social equity is a flexible concept that applies to every area of society, including education, health, and public administration. It acknowledges that people face systemic barriers based on their gender, sexuality, disability, migrant status, religion, and more, and aims to grant minoritized groups with equitable access to the resources they need to achieve an equal outcome to more advantaged groups.