Just twenty-four hours after Donald Trump’s inauguration, millions of women flooded streets around the world to stand up in defense of women’s rights. From Washington, DC to our own town of London, ON, women came out to support one another’s plight –– it was a show in the power of feminism worldwide. However, as millions of women come together in solidarity, it is necessary to ensure that this solidarity includes more than just white women. That solidarity must be intersectional, inclusive and diverse. After all, how can you claim to stand for all women, when you only raise your voice for some women?
Intersectional feminism is the acknowledgment that there are other factors –– such as race –– that both affect and are intertwined with the experience of being a woman. These factors cannot, and should not, be separated from the experience of womanhood. Intersectional feminism does not seek to invalidate the experiences of white women; it simply requires them to acknowledge their privilege and utilize it to bring awareness to these other experiences. Sounds simple enough, right?
Sadly, this idea of intersectionality has become a source of contention in the feminist community, despite its goal to enrich feminism further. To counteract this misunderstanding and defensiveness in response to the concept of intersectionality, we’ve decided to compile a few tips to ensure that your feminism continues to be as intersectional and inclusive as possible.
1. Acknowledge your privilege.
The starting point of fixing a problem will always be acknowledging that there is one. When we talk about privilege, we’re talking about the ability for some people (particularly white women) to have certain mobilities without facing the obstacles other marginalized women face. While women in our society are a marginalized group with less power than men, white, heterosexual women possess more power when it comes to feminism. For example, white women are more likely to earn more money than black women – specifically 64 cents to a man’s dollar, compared to white women’s 77 cents. They are less likely than women of colour and transgender women to experience hate violence. They are also more likely to be listened to and have their experiences validated, thus taking the forefront of the feminist movement. By recognizing this hierarchy-like structure of inequality, and the fact that some women possess more privileges than others, we begin laying the groundwork for creating a more inclusive and diverse feminist rhetoric.
2. Use your privilege.
Now that you have acknowledged some of the advantages handed to you by society, don’t feel discouraged just yet. If you have privileges, then you have a duty to use them to uplift other women. Use the platform to bring light to women of colour, disenfranchised groups of women, and so on. White women possess the most voice in women’s issues, therefore, it can rest in their hands to utilize this platform to also speak out against injustices others face. For example, simply retweeting, joining marches, and bringing awareness to these issues that affect others outside of yourself.
3. Listen, don’t speak over.
With that being said, also be cautious of speaking for others, rather than allowing them to speak for themselves. Often, it is not your issue to explain, as it is not your personal lived experience. We all know how annoying mansplaining is, so don’t try to whitesplain the hardships women of colour do or don’t face to a woman of colour. Educate yourself on these issues and listen to the experiences of those who have lived these inequalities. Assuming every woman’s experience is the same as yours is to lose a large portion of the bigger picture, and silence others. Let these women speak on their experiences, and make sure they are not erased from feminist discussion.
4. It’s more than just one issue.
While it is important to fight for reproductive rights, equal pay, and so on, it is also important to recognize the richness of feminism and the battles it must fight. For example, to stand for equal rights for women is to fight for the rights of transgender women, sex workers, disabled women, etc. A privileged woman’s fight for her reproductive rights is different from a disabled woman’s fight. To ensure equality, feminism must be dimensional enough to not forget these women when privileged groups are catered to.
5. Be critical.
Being able to recognize problematic behaviour is important in being able to remedy this behaviour, in yourself and others. The ability to recognize issues such as tokenism, racism, unequal standards of feminism, and so on, ensures your feminism is educated and engaged. Likewise, being critical of other’s concepts of feminism also requires you to be critical of yourself. Of course becoming a perfect feminist overnight isn’t expected, and it is very likely that you may be called out by others, but maintaining an open mind rather than becoming defensive and hostile is crucial. No one is asking you to be 100% unproblematic and politically correct from the get-go, and it may take some time to unlearn certain perspectives, but criticism and willingness is the first step to becoming a more inclusive kind of feminist.
6. Take action.
Silence is definitely a form of violence when it comes to rights being withheld from others. Being a feminist means to speak out against inequalities, but being selective with which issues you lend your voice to undermines the very concept of feminism. However, by acknowledging what privileges you have, using them to empower others, and being educated and critical, you can mobilize your feminism and privileges to defend not only your rights, but the rights of others.