MAY 2018 • FOGHORN 13 FOGHORNFOCUS: HUMAN RESOURCES workplace, it is key to know the differ- ence between the following terms: sex assigned at birth, gender identity, and gender expression. First, someone’s sex assigned at birth is what a medical professional de- termines when an infant is born.  Often, this determination is based upon external sex organs, but hormones and chromosomes also come into play when determining someone’s sex.  Words such as male, female and intersex are used for labeling someone’s sex. What is important to remember is someone’s sex assigned at birth, is referring to someone’s physical body. Next, is gender identity.  Gender identity refers to how someone feels in regards to their own sense of gender.  This may or may not coincide with their sex assigned at birth. There are many words out there to use for your gender identity; some that may be familiar are: man, woman, transgender, and non-binary.   Finally, gender expression is the way in which someone chooses to display their gender identity.  Gender expression encompasses clothing, hairstyle, piercings, vocal pitch, body language, and much more.  It is up to the individual as to what feels comfort- able and appropriate for them. For the purposes of this article, I will mainly be focusing on the experiences of women, transgender, and non-bina- ry folks in the maritime industry.  The tools, strategies, and advice offered here is also appropriate when consid- ering elevating and supporting other marginalized genders as well. Equity To define equity, one must under- stand equality.  Equality is the practice of giving all individuals the same resources in the hopes of achieving equal success.  As the graphic illus- trates, sometimes giving everyone the same type of support is not always the most helpful. Equity is a practice in which everyone receives the type of assistance they actually need.  Once equity is achieved, the final goal is justice. Justice refers to an environment where the initial barrier has been com- pletely removed and all individuals are able to thrive and succeed. It is important to shift our focus from equality to equity when con- sidering gender equity in the workplace.  Treating all genders the same may sound good in theory, but all folks need different coaching, support systems, access to resources, etc.  That does not stop when it comes to folks of varying genders. Historically, men have been given more opportunities and Gender expression encompasses clothing, hairstyle, piercings, vocal pitch, body language, and much more.