Every child is able to say what being fair means. The moment things are not shared equally, the cry of “It’s not fair!” can be heard across the house and schoolyard. Yet when we talk about the meaning of justice — the justice of wealth and income — cognitive dissonance rears its head and diverse opinions are expressed.

Justice is often perceived as being egalitarian where equality is central. Sharing equally sounds fair, but as can be seen in the following diagram it doesn’t play out that way.

“Fair is not everyone getting the same thing. Fair is everyone getting what they need to be successful.”

Equality does not mean the existing socioeconomic status in a hierarchical society is considered; if all receive an equal share, then imbalance in society continues. When people react and protest on the streets because of inequality, it is not so much a case of having less than, but more a case of the need and right for access and opportunity — ie, the need for fairness.

Most Western societies continue to have the meritocratic system firmly in place — ie, social status is determined by “merit”, which in turn is acquired through quality of education, intelligence and effort. This gives an impression of fairness. However, the “merit” system does not take into account the advantages of hereditary, social, educational, gender, class and racial background that ensure certain groups of people stay at the top of the social and economic ladder — with those at the bottom of the ladder continuing to end up at the bottom, no matter how hard they work.

Society states that if you put in an adequate amount of hard work, you will succeed — or so meritocracy decrees. However, this belief that hard work guarantees success by default leads us to the conclusion that the poor are just lazy or stupid people who make bad choices that perpetuate their poverty. Thus, meritocracy becomes a justification of inequality, not a cure.

We must consider what is the result of responsible actions, attributable to us rather than to natural endowments, and one’s social and economic circumstances. For instance, most would agree that access to healthcare resources and a good education are a fundamental right; however, in Bermuda, access is based on economics. If healthcare services and a good education are essential for equal opportunity, then these should be supplied universally.

Fairness and justice means the removal of all systemic barriers and a focus on distributive justice as a way forward, ensuring moral guidance for the political processes, laws and structures that affect the distribution of benefits and burdens in societies.

Fairness demands that we lower economic stress and insecurity throughout our society, and institute policies that try to reduce poverty and establish a basic minimal standard of security for everyone across income, health and basic services.

We must recognise that a large portion of our population has experienced growing inequality resulting in mental health struggles, minimum or no health insurance, rapid job loss, divorce, breakdown of families, higher cost of living, major illness and loss of home — all of which can lead to poverty, destitution, homelessness, illness, hopelessness and death.

Gang violence in Bermuda is turning deadlier, our prisons hold growing numbers of young men, families are left destitute with the loss or imprisonment of a loved one. Poverty and inequity underscore so much of the trauma in our community.

Changes needed include a living wage, universal healthcare, robust labour standards and protections, free access to universal education, lifelong learning and job retraining, universal basic income, job guarantee, and adequate and compassionate support for those in need.

Reduction/elimination of unfair wealth and power advantage that flow to large-asset owners and corporations while opening opportunities for those historically excluded especially through racially rigged policies. These changes include investment in education, albeit by government or public/private partnerships.

Policies that deconcentrate wealth must be implemented to establish a level playing field — ie, progressive taxation, elimination of tax preference/exemption for income from wealth, introduction of inheritance taxation, and taxation of all forms of wealth.

There is a reason that many northern European social democracy countries score high on the happiness report. They have free and high standard of education and healthcare, low crime rates, social security nets, and are fairly prosperous owing to policies that maintain a high floor of income, health and basic services for all.

As long as systemically unfair discrimination to access and opportunities persists, tension, conflict and protests in societies and communities will continue and grow. Especially in a society built on hundreds of years of past injustices.

• Lynne Winfield is a past president of Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda