Intersectionality is a powerful tool that helps us uncover how different systems of power shape inequality. It provides a lens through which we can examine the ways oppression and privilege interact, often in complex and overlapping ways.
Rooted in Black feminist thought and first defined by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw in the 1980s, intersectionality has gained greater prominence in the mid-late 2010s. It helps us see how identities such as gender, sexuality, race, class, disability, and more can both empower and disadvantage individuals depending on the structures of society.
Understanding and applying intersectionality allows us to challenge discrimination and privilege in meaningful ways. Here are ten key steps to doing so effectively.
1. Recognise Intersectionality’s Origins and Purpose
Intersectionality is not just a buzzword it is a framework rooted in the lived experiences of Black women and other marginalised groups. It emerged from the work of Black feminist scholars and activists who highlighted how mainstream feminism often failed to address race, and how anti-racist movements frequently overlooked gender. Understanding its history ensures we do not dilute its purpose.
2. Understand That Identities Are Complex and Overlapping
No one is defined by a single identity. A person can be both privileged in one aspect of their identity and disadvantaged in another. For example, a white woman may experience sexism, but her whiteness can still afford her racial privilege. Similarly, a disabled man may face ableism while benefiting from male privilege. Intersectionality helps us see the full picture.
3. Move Beyond Single-Issue Thinking
Traditional approaches to equality often focus on one dimension at a time such as tackling gender inequality separately from racism or disability rights. However, intersectionality shows us that issues are interconnected. A one-size-fits-all approach to discrimination often excludes those who experience multiple layers of oppression.
4. Identify How Systems of Power Work Together
Intersectionality isn’t just about individual identities it’s about how social systems (such as the legal system, education, healthcare, and employment) create and reinforce inequalities. By looking at how these systems interact, we can better understand why certain groups face disproportionate disadvantages.
5. Listen to Marginalised Voices and Experiences
Lived experience is essential to understanding intersectionality. Those who face multiple layers of oppression often have insights that others do not. Engaging with diverse voices through reading, listening, and learning ensures that we centre those most affected rather than speaking for them.
6. Challenge Privilege and Power Structures
Privilege is not just about individual advantages it’s about the systemic benefits that certain groups receive. Recognising privilege isn’t about guilt; it’s about acknowledging and using it to challenge injustice. Intersectionality helps us ask, “Who benefits from this system? Who is left out?” and take action accordingly.
7. Use Intersectionality to Inform Policy and Practice
Policies designed without an intersectional lens can unintentionally exclude or harm certain groups. For example, workplace policies aimed at gender equality may not consider the specific barriers faced by ethnically diverse women, disabled women, or LGBTQ+ women. An intersectional approach ensures policies work for everyone.
8. Avoid Performative Allyship
Merely acknowledging intersectionality without action is not enough. Performative allyship such as using diverse language but failing to challenge structures of discrimination can be harmful. True allyship means advocating for real change, amplifying marginalised voices, and using your influence to break down barriers.
9. Be Willing to Unlearn and Relearn
Understanding intersectionality requires ongoing learning. Social inequalities are constantly shifting, and so must our understanding. Being open to new perspectives, challenging personal biases, and evolving our thinking is crucial in applying intersectionality meaningfully.
10. Take Action to Create Meaningful Change
Intersectionality is not just a concept to be understood—it is a tool for action. Whether in workplaces, education, activism, or policymaking, applying an intersectional lens ensures that change is inclusive and transformative. Ask yourself: How can I use my voice, privilege, or position to dismantle inequality?
By embedding intersectionality into our daily lives and work, we can move beyond surface-level inclusion and work towards a truly equitable society. It’s not just about recognising oppression it’s about actively challenging the systems that uphold it.Bottom of Form
Really sharp take! Intersectionality helps us see how overlapping systems of power shape inequality, pushing us beyond one-dimensional thinking.