Intersectionality is an analytical framework that describes how individuals various social and political identities result in unique combinations of discrimination and privilege. It identifies multiple factors of advantage and disadvantage, including gender, caste, sex, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, religion, disability, weight, and physical appearance. These intersecting and overlapping social identities may be both empowering and oppressing. Intersectionality opposes analytical systems that treat each axis of oppression in isolation. The term was coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989 to describe how interlocking systems of power affect those who are most marginalized in society.
Intersectionality is important because it acknowledges that everyone has their own unique experiences of discrimination and oppression and we must consider everything and anything that can marginalize people. It recognizes that identity markers do not exist independently of each other, and that each informs the others, often creating a complex convergence of oppression. Intersectionality is a practical tool that can be used to tackle intersectional discrimination through policies and laws. It is also a framework for conceptualizing a person, group of people, or social problem as affected by a number of discriminations and disadvantages.
Intersectionality is relative because it displays how race, gender, and other components "intersect" to shape the experiences of individuals. Structural intersectionality is used to describe how different structures work together and create a complex which highlights the differences in the experiences of women of color with domestic violence and rape. Intersectional justice is the fair and equal distribution of wealth, opportunities, rights, and political power within society. It focuses on the mutual workings of structural privilege and disadvantage, i.e. that someone’s disadvantage is someone else’s privilege. An intersectional approach ensures that no one is left behind in the fight for justice and equality.
