What is intersectionality? And why is it essential for climate justice?
For World Day of Social Justice, Policy volunteer Molly Coyle discusses the importance of intersectionality in tackling the climate crisis in the second of her three-part blog series.
What is intersectionality?
The term intersectionality was developed by Black feminist scholars in the 1970s and was made popular by American critical legal race scholar Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, in 1989 who used the term to address the marginalisation of Black women, within antidiscrimination law alongside feminist and antiracist theory and politics. How we understand and use the term intersectionality has developed from its original usage but is commonly understood as being:
“a way of examining issues to understand how characteristics such as race, place, age, gender, and geography intersect with each other and interact with power structures to create and reinforce power, privilege, disadvantage, and discrimination”.
These intersections then create different merges of identities and experiences of systems of power, such as white supremacy or patriarchy, which cannot be looked at through a single lens, for example only as a gender or race “issue”.
You can watch Kimberlé Crenshaw’s TED Talk ‘The urgency of intersectionality’ on YouTube
Why is it important?
Intersectionality is very important as it helps us understand that these systems of power and oppression do not happen separately, and that they will form and merge in ways that will shape people’s lives very differently. Understanding this, then lets us face these systems of power with more knowledge and understanding, hopefully leading to more success in tackling them.
Intersectionality scholar Jessica Nash explains for example the potential impact of ignoring intersectionality in researching gender, in which research on ‘women’ translates as being the most privileged women (white, middle-class, able-bodied, heterosexual). Therefore, research on “women” might ignore the experiences of women of colour, disabled women, LGBTQ+ women and so on. Intersectionality can then be applied to understand that even though all these people are women, they may have multiple different identities which shape their experience significantly differently to other women. As such, they may have different experiences which require different solutions or actions than other women.
how does it relate to climate change?
We know that climate change will have a disproportionate impact on marginalised individuals and communities, such as women, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people and many more groups. You can read our blog about queer activism and the fight for our climate here. However, none of these individuals or communities exist solely as these identities. Climate change is then impacting individuals at the intersections of many marginalised and oppressed identities. For example, Black women and girls will bear even more disproportionate impacts as a result of climate change.
For example, as the fossil fuel industry continues to worsen the climate crisis and contribute to global warming, those who are low-income and/or communities of colour are more likely to live near these polluting factories. However, going beyond this, it is then the women in these families who will face the greater burdens, having to care for family members who may get ill as a result of the pollution. These low-income, women of colour are therefore more likely to be left economically vulnerable as this care for their family members is most likely unpaid.
Using an intersectional lens therefore lets us acknowledge and understand that these women are not just women facing greater risks of climate change, but also low-income and women of colour and as such are facing compounding and significantly damaging impacts as a result of their intersecting identities.
In taking an intersectional lens, activist Leah Thomas coined the term Intersectional Environmentalism, which acknowledges these disproportionate impacts and burdens at these intersections of marginalised and oppressed identities. She defines the term as “an inclusive approach to environmentalism that advocates for the protection of both people and the planet”. She explains that the aim of intersectional environmentalism is “bridge the gap between injustices committed against marginalized communities and the earth and how they are related”.
what can we do to make sure we take intersectional approaches in our climate action?
Recognise our own positions and intersecting identities.
We are all the sum of many parts, being able to recognise how our own identities may intersect and impact our experiences both in everyday life, and in relation to climate change is an important first step in taking an intersectional approach to climate action.
Once we are aware of our own intersections, and how they may both bring us privilege or marginalisation, we can then begin to better understand others and their intersections.
Reflect on how we view issues, and how we can be more intersectional.
When thinking about climate change, try to move away from thinking of the issues as firstly affecting everyone evenly and think about who may be disproportionately impacted. From here, think about potential intersecting identities and experiences which have even further disproportionate impacts. We may not always be able to find these answers, but through asking ourselves these questions and beginning to explore the answers we can think of different and important ways to take action to help others.Reach out and work with people from all different identities and backgrounds.
Perhaps most importantly, we need to reach out and listen to those who are facing multiple forms of oppression. We can’t know what other people are facing unless we ask them and create safe spaces for these discussions which challenge the systems of power and oppression that are in place. But importantly, be respectful that people who are facing multiple forms of oppression should not be asked to shoulder the workload to teach and lead others. So, use your learning to take the burden off of their shoulders.Create solidarity with others.
Lastly, create solidarity with others. We may all come from different backgrounds and have different identities, and as such, have different needs and understandings but intersectionality allows us to unite together. Through solidarity with each other we can be stronger in tackling climate change in a way which benefits all people, and the planet.