This article is from our first magazine about Ana, a 14 year old Indian-American Intersectional feminist. To read the magazine that this article is from, click here.
What is intersectional feminism? In the words of the thesaurus dictionary: “A movement recognizing that barriers to gender equality vary according to other aspects of a woman’s identity, including age, race, ethnicity, class, and religion, and striving to address a diverse spectrum of women’s issues” In simpler form, intersectional feminism acknowledges that all women are treated differently based on who they are. It looks at all forms of inequality, not just gender based.
One example is this image that Isabel has drawn, Rosie the Riveter would have been treated or perceived differently if she was black. And imagine if she was mentally challenged, didn't speak english, was born in a different country and immigrated or struggled with poverty. In any of these cases, you probably wouldn't have heard of her. Here's another example, let’s say you're a white woman who works in an office. One day, a male co-worker points out you are the only woman in your part of the office and suggests that a man may be better fit for the job. Now image you are Indian. It’s the same situation as before except this time the man adds one thing, he says “maybe a white male would be better fit for the job” and explains that Americans should be given jobs before immigrants. Intersectional feminism stands up for the woman and her ethnicity . This term was created by Kimberle Crenshaw in 1989 to help explain the oppression of African American women in court. Ana is an intersectional feminist because she believes in feminism and gender equality, but she also believes that women of different races, class, religion, etc. are all treated differently from each other.
*Article edited for website
Comments