Intersectionality

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Intersectionality highlights how people embody various identities that are not experienced in isolation. An
intersectional perspective brings to light how the intersection of an individual’s various identities, when considered
holistically, influence a person’s overall life experiences and their interactions with systems and institutions.

Dr. Olena Hankivsky writes in Intersectionality 101 that human lives cannot be explained by taking into account
single categories, such as gender, race, and socioeconomic status. People’s lives are multidimensional and complex,
and lived realities are shaped by different factors and social dynamics, such as colonialism, imperialism, racism,
homophobia, ableism, and patriarchy, operating together.1
The term intersectionality was coined by legal scholar and professor Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989 and is a product of
Black feminist critique of mainstream feminism.

Unpacking Intersectionality: Samira

As an example, let’s look at Samira’s identity points. Samira identifies
herself as: 1. Female 2. Asian-American 3. Muslim.
I’m female

Samira experiences life as all three of these identities. Meaning, she I’m Asian-American
does not experience life as just a Muslim or as just a female; she
experiences it as an Asian-American Muslim female. In some parts of I’m Muslim
the world and community groups, Samira may experience marginality
based on these identities. The way Samira experiences systems and institutions can be found
in the overlap of these identities and not necessarily in one single identity point.

Why is intersectionality important?

An intersectional analysis allows a better understanding of how people experience systems and institutions as their
whole selves. In the case of Samira’s three identity points, you can’t begin to understand Samira’s experience by
looking through a single lens of her race, religion, or sex and gender identity. Samira experiences being a female as
being an Asian-American Muslim female. Her identities are intertwined, inform
each other, and cannot be separated.

Through an intersectional approach, you can begin to understand how systems,

Female Muslim
institutions, and greater society impact Samira by looking at the intersection of
those three identities. In other words, “Intersectional analysis is useful to expose
the diversity that characterizes otherwise seemingly homogeneous groups and
Asian-American
highlight the multiple experiences and interests of their members. It helps us to
avoid imposing fixed interpretations of experience and invites a more
sophisticated, responsive approach.” 2
The Intersectional Approach and the Peace Corps
Taking an intersectional approach allows a person to deal with more complexity. As Nancy Jouwe notes in
Intersectionality: A Travelling Concept, “By tackling multiple differences, intersectionality is more in tune with our
lived experiences than any singular framework (‘I am only a woman’) could ever be.”3 In the context of Peace Corps
service, intersectionality can show up in various ways. Below are short illustrative narratives that highlight the
impact of an intersectional approach versus traditional approaches of understanding differences and how those
differences can interact with systems and institutions.

Peace Corps Volunteer: “I had assumed that all of the women I’d work with at
my site would cover their arms, but I noticed that one woman didn’t, even though
she shared the same nationality and religion as the other women. I realized that
her identity in terms of age, politics, and urban/rural influenced her experience as
it relates to religion and gender. Recognizing intersectionality helps keep me from
applying cultural trends too generally.”

Host Country National Staff: “I’ve always thought of Americans as

individualistic. I often see how their individualism shows up in daily conversations and
in how they interact with each other and people from my cultural background. I grew
accustomed to it and expected every American to behave that way. I was surprised to
experience an American who also held collectivist values and traits. I then learned that
her identity as a southern African-American woman from a rural part of Georgia was
grounded in a collectivist approach.”

United States Direct Hire Staff: “When I first arrived in my host country, I saw
a layer of difference that was grounded in national differences (U.S. vs. host country).
I thought there was a lot of diversity in the office. As I started learning more about
the local context, I began to understand that there were other types of differences
not represented in our staff. I saw no representation of two specific ethnic groups.
Therefore, we fixed those barriers and attracted and hired more members of these two
communities. When we looked back at who was applying and being selected from
the two ethnic groups of focus, we learned that we had qualified female applicants,
but they were not being selected for an interview. As my curiosity in diversity and
intersectionality grew, I realized that the processes we created in recruitment and
hiring was unintentionally biased. Intersectionality helped me recognize that the way
people experience systems is not ‘neutral.’ It will never be and therefore it becomes
important to recognize that and begin to chip away at it.”

Your Turn
Think through your identity points and consider how those identities interact and show up in your life.

Topical Paper: Intersectionality 2

“By tackling multiple differences, intersectionality is more in tune with our lived
experiences than any singular framework (‘I am only a woman’) could ever be.”
–Nancy Jouwe

Here are some things you can do to begin applying what you’ve learned about intersectionality:
1. Think through your intersectionality and how it influences the way you experience systems and institutions.
2. Interact with people who are different from you in terms of race, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation,
ability, age, and ethnicity, focusing on relationship-building and better understanding of others’ experiences
and realities.
3. Don’t be defensive and do listen to others.
4. Be an ally: Stand personally against all forms of bias and discrimination.
Intersectionality is neither a new concept nor an instant solution to societal dilemmas. However, it can serve as a
tool in helping us understand individual identities and how those identities experience the world. Moreover, it can
help us create more just spaces that honor the complex realities and experiences of individuals and the systems
and institutions with which they interact.4

Recommended Reading and Viewing

Why Intersectionality Can’t Wait

Intersectionality, by Khan Academy (video)

Intersectionality: A Travelling Concept

Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color

WTF Is Intersectional Feminism? (video)

Kimberlé Crenshaw Discusses ‘Intersectional Feminism’ (video)

1. Hankivsky, Olena. Intersectionality 101. The Institute for Intersectionality Research & Policy, Simon Fraser University. Published April 2014. Accessed 2016.
2. Commonwealth of Australia. “Fact Sheet: Intersectionality.” Australian Attorney-General’s Department, AVERT Family Violence: Collaborative Responses in the Family Law System.
Published 2010. Accessed 2016.
3. Jouwe, N. “Intersectionality: A Travelling Concept.” Published 2015. Accessed 2016.
4. NUS National Women’s Campaign. Intersectionality 101: NUS Women’s Campaign’s Guide to Intersectional Activism on Campus. Published 2014. Accessed 2016.

RAL COMPE This brief is part of a series developed by the Peace Corps Intercultural Competence, Diversity, and
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Inclusion (ICD&I) team in the Office of Overseas Programming and Training Support. Each brief explains
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a foundational ICD&I concept to help build mutual understanding and a common vocabulary within the
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Peace Corps community.

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For more information, contact the Peace Corps Intercultural Competence, Diversity, and Inclusion (ICD&I) team
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Topical Paper: Intersectionality 3