These parasitic patterns are also visible in lower management levels, not only boards (not disputing your point, just adding to it).

That line stuck out to me at first but it's clear from the context thus far:

Up until the 2024 board election, the organization ran on meritocracy in the sense that those who contributed the most had the most say.

Equality means here that the organization shifted to everyone present having an equal voice. It was no longer proportional to the work contributed.