1. Principles of social justice
STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT:
STUDENTS LEARN TO:
Equity
Identify strategies where the principles of social justice have been applied to promote the health of individuals
Diversity
Supportive Environments

2. Principles of social justice - overview
Social justice is about upholding human rights.
This involves advocating for people, valuing diversity, providing supportive environments in order to achieve equity in health and enable people to achieve good health.
The Constitution of the World Health Organisation: Principles, states:
The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition
Since health is a human right, it is a social justice issue and any health promotion should take the principles of social justice into account. 
The principles of social justice listed in the Preliminary PDHPE syllabus include:
Equity
Diversity
Supportive Environments.
Within the Ottawa Charter for health promotion, the principles of social justice can be seen in both the prerequisite for health and the three (3) strategies for health promotion: advocate, enable, and mediate. Each of these strategies require someone to fight for someone else in order to help them achieve what is their right – health.
It should be noted that social justice is about fairness, which is not always the same as equality. Health promotion should seek for everyone to have equal levels of good health, but what each person requires in order to be able to attain health will vary and needs to be addressed.

3. EQUITY
Equity is different to equality though the two are often thought to be the same.
Equity is about promoting fairness.
The aim of equity is to achieve equality in outcome not in the method to achieve it
In health promotion equity revolves around the achievement of a good level of health for all, which means that each person is given the same amount of control over their own health in order to achieve good health.
For health promotion this means that the resources are NOT distributed evenly or equally. In stead they are distributed in such a way that promotes equity.
More is given to people who need more in order to achieve the same.

4. equity EXAMPLES OF EQUITY IN ACTION
Government has set up Centrelink to provide funding to those without, enabling them to have more power over their health
Medicare is another example - was brought in to provide everyone with access to specific health care providers. The funding of Medicare comes from tax and more tax is taken from those with higher incomes in order to fund Medicare, which provides health care for those with less money.
Another example is the distribution of resources to promote the health of ATSI people. Due to poorer health outcomes, higher rates of rural living, socioeconomic disadvantage, and social oppression, the government provides greater resources, including money, people and other resources.
Education in Australia - everyone has access to a free education. Some do choose to pay for education at private schools, but education can be accessed for free. This education improves health outcomes through health education and training through PDHPE and other school programs.

5. diversity
Diversity in health promotion mean the valuing of people for who they are and ensuring the health promotion meets their needs and is delivered in an appropriate manner.
Diversity exists in multiple ways:
Income
Location
Cultural background
Physical and mental abilities
Knowledge
Language
History, and much more.
In order for health promotion initiative to work, they need to take into account the diverse nature of the target audience.
For example, there is no point providing education in Chinese if the target audience only speak English. For a successful health promotion diversity must be considered.

6. diversity EXAMPLES OF DIVERSITY IN ACTION
ATSI people speak several languages, have a history of being socially oppressed and are the victims of a racial discrimination after being invaded, killed and brutally mistreated.
They live in varied areas, with a large population in rural areas.
Closing the Gap health promotion purposefully utilised the action area, strengthening community action, as without this Closing the Gap would not have achieved anything.
It is only through the training of ATSI people to deliver health services that inroads have been made to restoring relationships between ATSI people and the wider society.
Due to the diversity of ATSI people, health promotion had to be provided in their language, address the history of racial discrimination and help to address the continued racial social stigma.
Health promotion needed to be delivered in the right areas - where communities of ATSI people live
Address all the prerequisites for health, as well as provide a larger amount of resources, due to the gap in health outcomes and the lack of power ATSI people had in society.
Another example is the provision of translators and multi language resources in order to help migrants access and navigate the health system. These areas also provide health information in a variety of languages in order to help promote the health of their specific communities.

7. SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS
Supportive environments is both a principle of social justice and one of the five action areas of the Ottawa Charter.
Any health promotion initiative then uses this social justice principal as it creates supportive environments to promote health.
Supportive environments includes the:
Physical
Social and
Online environments

8. SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS
EXAMPLES OF SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS IN ACTION
National Road Safety Strategy
Introduction of speed cameras has helped to reduce our road toll and accidents in specific “black spots” on our roads.
Introduction of 50Km/h suburban speed limits
Introduction of mandatory 3 point seat belts and other safety features, such as driver airbags, have also helped to create a supportive environment to promote road safety.
Other examples include:
A large number of council and town planning regulations - the inclusion of local parks and reserves in town planning provides locations for people to get outdoors and encourages participation in physical activity.
Being outdoors also benefits our mental and social health - people gather at parks, helps to reduce our stress levels.

9. SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS
National Healthy Schools Canteen Project
helps to make it easier for students to select healthy food options at school.
WHS regulations help to make schools safer.
Schools also have their own policies that seek to provide a safe social (no bullying) environment.
Schools provide outdoor areas and breaks to help ensure the mental and social health of their students and often engage in welfare promotion through home groups or similar programs.