What is Intersectionality

Diverse communities encompassing a range of backgrounds create thriving environments. New ideas and innovation are born, and it’s for this very reason that intersectionality is crucial to any organisation. Traditional systems and tired concepts are challenged and can be made obsolete through the combination of intersectionality and diversity.

What is intersectionality?

Intersectionality provides an analytical framework to assess and analyse patterns of oppression amongst genders, ethnicities, sexualities, political and social classes and finding how each interconnect to the other.

The term ‘intersectionality’ was initially coined by scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw. She initially assessed first and second wave feminism which were primarily focused on middle-class, cis-gender white women, whilst the needs of women of colour were largely ignored. From this, intersectionality provides the framework to assess how layers of oppression meet to create further oppression. An example of this can be visualised in a quote by Crenshaw which states:

“Racism road crosses with the streets of colonialism and patriarchy, and ‘crashes’ occur at the intersections […] Where the roads intersect, there is a double, triple, multiple, and many-layered blanket of oppression.”

This framework and thinking demonstrates that addressing problems on a single-issue basis fails to address and eliminate the core issues and existence of discrimination. Intersectionality instead enables us to view the complexity of the issues different demographics face and enable a way of thinking that allows us to overcome them.

Why does intersectionality matter?

The analytical and cross-critical nature of intersectionality enables a wider viewpoint to avoid any exclusion in the hunt for equal rights. Through the viewpoint of intersectionality, the difference between ‘equity and equality’ is more easily distinguishable as well as how different forms of oppression and inequality reinforce each other to ensure the issue is harder to effectively tackle. This viewpoint can be applied to workplace thinking, especially when it comes to racial equity.

Addressing one topic and failing to tackle another not only fails to address the root cause of an issue, but it also reinforces those existing inequalities that have not been addressed. In recent years, we have seen the impact of an approach to an employment in the UK without intersectionality in mind. According to Statista, the female employment rate in the UK since the year 2000 has increased from 65.5% to 71.8% as of 2024. However, when looking at the UK governments official employment statistics up to 2023, we can see that the employment statistics for women of colour are lagging behind, demonstrated here:

• White British: 74%

• White other: 79%

• Mixed: 71%

• Black: 66%

• Asian other: 68%

• Pakistani, Bangladeshi: 46%

• Indian: 70%

• Asian: 61%

This disparity demonstrates that whilst efforts and progress have been made on the front of equal gender employment, it is not resulting in total gender equity across ethnicities. It is for this very reason that intersectionality is important, especially in the workplace to provide true equal opportunities to each demographic of people.

What are some examples of intersectionality?

Intersectionality is not limited to employment and social issues. The school of thinking can span a wide range of thinking, industries and topics. Some of these issues include:

Education

When referring to educational intersectionality, it is the same basic principle of assessing how various ethnicities, genders and social classes may impact students in education and their education standards. The school of thought for educational intersectionality is referred to as ‘Intersectional pedagogy’. It develops curriculums and teaching practices around the premise of educators understanding and viewing their pupils as an intersection of different ethnicities, genders, social classes and abilities. Achieving equity in the classroom requires educators to not simply treat each pupil the same or be blind to characteristics. This is due to the fact as this way of thinking can lead to further exclusion and cause further inequality. Remaining ware and applying the thinking of Intersectional pedagogy enables a more equitable and even education for all pupils.

Housing

Homelessness may be a widespread across the UK, but it has been found that there is a disparity in those most heavily impacted. Crisis notes that there was apparently a seemingly disproportionate number of Black people and non-UK nationals who are sleeping rough in London. To further this, it was also found that BAME communities were more affected by overcrowding in housing. From this it is clear to see there is an issue of inequity when it comes to those affected by homelessness in the UK. With this in mind, it is necessary to consider and understand a variety of reasons such as upbringings, areas, social classes and education as to how it may impact other specific groups.

Healthcare

Utilising intersectional thinking into caregiving affords healthcare professionals with the ability to provide people with a greater level of personalised care. If there is a pregnant woman of colour who also identifies as a member of the LGBTQIA+, healthcare professionals can assess how these identifying factors may have formed her previous experiences in the healthcare system.

Media

Media intersectionality is one of the most discussed and debated topics in the widespread conversation of intersectionality. Visibility, representation, equality and equity have been at the heart of mainstream media discussion, particularly since the early 2010s. Whether it is through advertising, the news, cinema, television or talk shows, there is discussions about how equal representation can provide the ruling classes with a greater understanding and newfound perspective on the struggles of those most discriminated against. Whether it be middle-class white men better understanding the struggle of working-class women of colour, or a nuclear family seeing the perspective of a transgender woman, intersectionality in media can be understood as a vehicle of understanding to further the cause of those discriminated against in other worldly regards.

Legal

The issue of legal intersectionality is slightly more complex as it relates to biases which could be historically or politically established. Intersectionality in this regard aims to eliminate bias and inequal treatment. A prime example could be pointed at with sexual harassment. The topic is typically considered as an issue women experience after it was found that 97% of women in the UK had experienced some form of sexual harassment in their lives. This shocking statistic however does not consider that 68% of LGBT people had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. When addressing a legal issue, it is important to eliminate bias and preconceptions to consider how an issue is impacting multiple groups to prevent it reoccurring in the future and safeguarding everyone from the issue at hand.

How does intersectionality present itself at work?

The topic of intersectionality comes into play with most workplace aspects in the name of equality, especially within thriving organisations that are leaders in their field. It enables senior leadership teams to gain a greater perspective and understanding on issues they may not be as enlightened on whilst cultivating a positive working environment with increased retention rates. However, intersectionality in the workplace and the benefits associated with it do not naturally occur. There needs to be a review of the processes and procedures in place to better understand how to incorporate intersectionality into a workplace environment.

Review organisational policies and processes

Taking the first step towards a more diverse and successful working environment is dependent on the established procedures and ongoing policies that and organisation stands by. This pipeline can be directly linked to recruitment, to upskilling and career progression. Depending on the size of the organisation, there might also be a need for dedicated diversity managers to ensure these policies are maintained and followed.

These processes need to be continually assessed and updated. Through surveys and feedback, senior leadership can understand if the established procedures are proving to be effective in boosting understanding, to see if typically, underrepresented groups are feeling engaged, seen and respected or if greater efforts need to be made.

Training and engagement

Training enables you to not only provide a framework to your people, but also ensure there is a unilateral understanding of intersectionality amongst the workforce. In an ever-changing world with new issues and topics of inequality occurring, your people, including senior leadership need to understand intersectionality, what it is and how it benefits them and the organisation. Regular training and initiatives to develop this understanding will demonstrate a commitment to equality and equity which will in turn boost engagement and your people’s willingness to understand and commit to intersectional policies.

How can leaders see intersectional issues and resolve them?

The school of thought behind intersectionality and the benefits of such are becoming more and more prevalent throughout different organisations. Despite this, intersectionality presents organisational leaders with the knowledge to identify barriers and issues that they may struggle to overcome. Using the lens of intersectional thinking, senior leadership cannot be passive. They need to be proactive by identifying issues and finding suitable resolutions for them.

Unconscious bias

One of the key issues that organisation leaders must overcome when it comes to the topic of implementing intersectional policy is overcoming unconscious bias. Unknowingly, leadership and the overall workforce may harbour feelings of bias regarding ethnicities, genders, sexualities and other identities. This may manifest itself in reinforcing stereotypes, judging a person’s ability to perform their role with no evidence or simply outright discriminating against a certain group. Overcoming such an issue is not simple or straightforward but is essential in curating an inclusive working environment that continues to push organisational success. The starting point should be conducting a thorough analysis of your organisation and workforce. This may focus on collecting data from your people, understanding the split in demographics, visualising the representation. This can be done by assessing how certain demographics fare in hiring processes, career progression and collecting primary data through wellbeing and engagement surveys to gauge if there is a collective feeling amongst a specific group. Doing this provides a basis for what strategies are necessary to effectively overcome an issue

Policies and procedures

Another key issue organisations face with intersectional policy is collective policy which may directly feed into limited training opportunities. Whilst an organisation may have in-depth and extensive policies, they may be structured in an incredibly generic manner. The issue with this style of thinking is that it fails to accommodate for people’s diverse needs. Applying a ‘one-size fits all’ approach to the wellbeing of your workforce will result in exclusion, regardless of it was unintentional. An example of this may be having a fire safety procedure in place that directs all employees to use the stairs. For a physically disabled person, this may not be possible, and the appropriate accommodations have not been made. Whilst a policy may be designed with the best intentions, not approaching it from an intersectional viewpoint can immediately exclude certain demographics. This then feeds into training.

With regular sessions, you can convey organisational culture, policy and mission statements by creating an inclusive culture. Catering policy and adapting training to focus on understanding equality, equity and inclusion can promote learning, and in the case of those who have unconscious biases, unlearning if necessary. In social terms, there are continuous developments and learning opportunities, so having a HR manager regularly review policy and promote equality through policy and training will create the necessary inclusive working environment that breeds greater organisational success.

How can an Employee Assistance Programme support intersectionality at work?

Creating and implementing intersectional policies and curating the inclusive environment to enable a business to thrive isn’t necessarily always straightforward, but it is necessary. Your people drive success, and you want the best people, in the best positions, in the best state to manage their wellbeing and drive productivity. To achieve this, you may need additional guidance. With our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), you will not only have access to expert management support, counselling and guides, you will also have 24/7 access to our helpline which will connect you to one of our qualified counsellors. Our team of counsellors can provide expert legal advice to help guide you on creating a workplace environment based on equality, equity and inclusion. Our team can provide the information and guidance necessary to implement effective policy that cares for and considers the needs of your people, no matter their background. For further support, we also offer additional support in the form of Corporate Wellbeing Workshops. These can be accessed remotely and provide expert insights to the senior leadership in your organisation as well as to your people on how to curate an inclusive environment with intersectionality at its core.

Conclusion

Environments that are inclusive are environments that innovate. It can be difficult to overcome the unseen social barriers that come with trying to establish the open culture, especially in a workplace environment. The efforts of an organisation may be well-intentioned, but simply due to lack of awareness, can lead to oversight and exclusion. Intersectionality and viewing workplace culture through its lens enables greater assessment, analysis and alterations to a culture that requires greater equality. It can be the key to organisational success and will create greater workforce unity.