Jamil’s words raise another distinction here: the difference between equality and equity. The former assumes that everyone is starting from the same place with the same barriers and the same support, and therefore advocates that everyone should be treated equally.

However, it fails to address specific barriers facing individuals, which, as Jamil points out, can vary from sexuality to looks. Equality provides a blanket solution to an individual problem.

On the other hand, equity addresses the discrimination faced by the individual to ensure that everyone has access to the same place.

As Jamil suggests, privilege can be hard to dismantle as it tends to trigger our defence mechanisms. Nevertheless, it is important as it is only by identifying our individual privileges that we can start to dismantle them in order to achieve equity across the board.

Jameela Jamil sums up why privilege is about more than just wealth and power