Intersectional Feminism

"If your feminism isn’t fat positive, anti racist, trans-inclusive, pro choice, challenging ableism, or against classism .. then who is it for?”

Mainstream Feminism for the most part has left out and marginalized many groups of womxn. It has left of womxn of color, trans womexn, low working class womxn, and anyone who wasn’t a straight cisgender white womxn. These womxn were underrepresented and that's where intersectional feminism comes into play. Womxn should “embrace the differences between each other” to “use them as a strength to fight their enemies.” (Audre Lorde) We can not achieve true equality without considering the most exploited and taking into account the different experiences and backgrounds each womxn has. The experiences of each womxn is different from one a another, a womxn of color would experience oppression differently than to white woman as would a trans woman would experience oppression differently than to a cisgender womxn.

“Until the mainstream feminist movement starts listening to the various groups of women within it, then it will continue to stagnate and not be able to move forward. The only result of this is that the movement will become fragmented and will continue to be less effective.” - Ava Vidal

The third wave of feminism, Intersectional Feminism, not only focuses on the oppression of a certain demographic women but considers the oppression of all women and where it stems from. This includes the acknowledgment of all the institutions of oppression and how they all intertwine. Kimberle Crenshaw addresses intersectionality and that when we gauge the” multiplicities of oppression” we shouldn’t look at it as an “additive approach.” It isn’t just racism plus sexism plus classism but “how class oppression is racialized.” (Kimberle Crenshaw). Intersectionality changed the major Ideas of feminism to not just pay wage gaps and marriage but Anti-Imperialism, Immigration, and Colonial Mentality. The purpose of intersectional feminism is not to separate womxn from men but to make both equal. To give target groups the human rights they have been deprived of so all womxn are treated equally. Feminism not only affects womxn but also men. Feminism is for the equality of everyone not putting women as more superior because then the oppression/oppressors would just reverse. We need to let men know that they are a part of the picture too. Hyper-masculinity and the gender roles put on men expects them to act a certain way; to be “manly”, assert dominance, never show emotions and to be the alpha which feeds into the patriarchy. It is men like this that need the most education. We can’t create a movement without trying to involve and educate everyone, even the oppressors and power groups.

Artist: Kruttika Susarla (@kruttikasusarla)