Kimberly Crenshaw, a civil right activist and American professor, coined the term Intersectional Feminism in the year 1989. She rooted the word “intersectionality” from another theory of ‘Black Feminism’ and ‘Critical Race Theory’. Intersectional feminism focuses on witnessing women’s overlapping identities and related systems of oppression or discrimination. In a nutshell, it means to stand out and look out for each individual; taking seriously the fact of differences among women, including unique identities based on radicalization, sexuality, economic status, nationality, religion and language.
Digging back a little into the history, some theorists and philosophers have neglected the non-white and underprivileged women, thus giving more attention to the ‘white-women.’ White-feminism solely focuses on the experience of white women and cannot acknowledge and integrate the notion of intersectionality in the struggle for equality. On average, women make less than men in the workplace. But, minority women make even less in the workplace. They interconnect their gender and ethnicity to create further disadvantages.
Intersectionality, an old term turned buzzword, aims at providing equal rights and empowerment to all women irrespective of their gender, class, race, religion and identity. Witnessing changes, liberalism and more literacy than ever before; we humans are far away from reaching equality. Intersectional feminism works as a progressive approach to reach the bar of equality and liberation in the twenty-first century. Unfortunately, women, even now all across the globe, face oppression and discrimination despite coming from various backgrounds, languages and identities. It is an absolute necessity to understand women’s novel experiences of misfortune and tribulation to provide a conclusive solution. This approach tries to cover gaps among different people, letting them reach the same level of equality.
Intersectional feminism by any means doesn’t mean prioritizing the minority or making white women invisible but bringing everyone to par, taking into consideration their different social and political backgrounds and the different oppressions they face.This, under any circumstances, is not an attack on the privileged but a ray of hope for the unprivileged. The only possible way to achieve this is by examining one’s privilege, listening to each other, and by practicing feminism through a broader lens. The salient essence is for women to understand women. At last, it is all about showing humanity, compassion and courage for everyone around us.
Author - Sanya Seth
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