The word intersectionality describes the complex reality of being human. Understanding intersectionality is important if we are to provide the best possible services to women. Each of us is shaped by multiple social or cultural identities that affect how we understand ourselves, the barriers and opportunities we have had presented to us, our abilities to respond to those barriers and opportunities and the way other people respond to us.
Three women’s stories
Sheila
Sheila is an older white woman who is your new client. She has experienced privileges because of her skin colour but, because of her age, she now faces forms of oppression due to social structures that affect people as they get older. You need to understand this to serve her well. Without realizing it, Sheila has felt very privileged throughout her life and is now struggling to understand why she feels excluded and like an outsider.
Shaylene
Shaylene has reached out for support. She is a First Nations woman and mother of three. She wants to separate from her partner, the father of her children. During your meeting, you notice bruising on her arms. You ask her about it, and she becomes quiet. She seems hesitant to disclose or reveal more to you. When you ask if she’s ever reported the abuse to RCMP/police, she says no.
As a First Nations woman, Shaylene might be extremely distrustful of RCMP/police and other state systems that have greatly harmed Indigenous peoples. To support Shaylene well, you must be aware and respectful of these histories and accept her decisions about whether or not to work within systems she doesn’t trust.
Emma
A third client is Emma. She is a bisexual transgender woman who has fled an abusive wife. Because she is bisexual, she may have faced the stereotype that bisexual people are dishonest. She is statistically very likely to have been subjected to sexual violence. Because she is transgender, she may have been turned away at women’s shelters or wrongly assumed to be the abuser. Because the abuser is also a woman, Emma may not be believed or taken seriously regarding the abuse. To serve Emma well, you must be mindful of the nuances of violence against 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
Understanding yourself
In order to be aware of biases we may bring into our work, we must understand our own social identity and the systems of oppression (and privilege) that have shaped who we are. This can be an especially difficult task for those of us from the dominant culture. For all of us, it is an ongoing responsibility—something we need to be aware of throughout our working life.
Once we have started learning about who we are, we need to understand the intersectionalities of each of the women we serve.
Our social identity is based on the cultures to which we belong. Some people use the word groups or communities instead of cultures; in this context, they all mean the same thing.
Which cultures do you belong to?
Below are a few examples of cultures to which we may belong. This is not intended to be a complete list:
- Race
- Indigeneity
- Skin colour
- Language
- Religion
- Class
- Age
- Sexual orientation
- Gender identity/expression
- Geographic location
- Legal status in Canada
- Education
- Health (physical, mental, emotional)
- Disability
- Family status
Opened and closed doors
Our cultural groupings are associated with both oppressions and privileges, which exist within larger societal forces and structures that reinforce notions of us and them, insiders and outsiders, ultimately excluding some people and including others. Some examples of these structures are colonization and residential schools, legal systems, the education system and capitalism, but there are more.
It is important to understand the intersectionality of people’s experiences, because they are complex and have an impact on every aspect of their lives. Social or cultural identity both opens and closes doors for women who need to access services related to the abuse to which they have been subjected.
Sometimes, the door is closed because of internal factors: A woman who has high social status may be too embarrassed to seek out services because she does not want anyone to know about the abuse.
Or, it may be closed because of external factors: A woman living in a rural community may not have access to a shelter near where she lives; an Indigenous woman may fear systemic racism will be directed at her or her abusive partner if she calls the RCMP/police.
We need to remember that the intersectionality of women’s lives affects the trauma they experience as a result of their partner’s abuse. Resiliency, too, is related to women’s cultural or social identity.