Intersectionality has become an increasingly popular word in the world of workplace diversity and inclusion (D&I). Despite its growing visibility, the term is often misunderstood, misused, or reduced to a buzzword, stripped of its original meaning.
At Diversity Council Australia (DCA), we strive to ensure intersectionality is embedded in our work and have been at the forefront of calling for policymakers and practitioners alike to do the same. Evidence shows that D&I work has more impact when it embraces intersectionality as a vital framework for understanding how discrimination and marginalisation operate, and uses it as a guide for building organisations that include everyone, not just the most visible or most privileged.
Demystifying intersectionality
Intersectionality isn’t a new term. It was coined in the 1980s by critical race and Black feminist scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw to highlight how the combined impacts of racism and sexism further marginalise Black women in the US. Crenshaw highlighted how anti-discrimination laws often forced Black women to choose between bringing a claim of racism or sexism, ignoring how the two combined to create a unique experience of compounded discrimination.
Intersectionality helps us understand how different systems of inequality, such as racism, sexism, ableism, ageism and classism, are interconnected and reinforce each other, limiting opportunities and influence for some to the benefit of others.
Importantly, intersectionality is not just about recognising that people have overlapping identities. We all do. Intersectionality is about overlapping inequities and the systems that create and reinforce them. In a workplace context, it helps us understand the lived experiences of employees who face compounded marginalisation and address intersecting inequities (e.g. gendered racism).
What intersectionality is not
To apply intersectionality correctly, we need to clear up some of the most common misconceptions:
- Intersectionality is not just about inclusion – It’s about equity, social justice and human rights. Inclusion is important, but it’s not enough if we’re not addressing the deeper systems that exclude and disadvantage people.
- Intersectionality is not additive – We can’t treat different forms of disadvantage as separate layers stacked on top of each other. Inequities happen simultaneously and must be understood as such.
- Intersectionality is not about the “oppression Olympics.” – It’s not about comparing who has it worse — it’s about understanding how some people face unique and compounded barriers and why their voices must be prioritised in D&I work.
Why intersectionality is crucial for your D&I strategy
Applying an intersectional lens helps us understand the complexity of marginalisation and ensure no one is left behind in our workplace inclusion efforts.
Many well-meaning D&I initiatives still operate in silos, addressing one diversity dimension at a time (e.g. gender, race, disability). While this work is important, it often benefits only the most privileged within each group. For example, research shows that many gender equity initiatives have largely improved outcomes for white, able-bodied, cisgender, heterosexual women. Meanwhile, the experiences of women who are First Nations, culturally and racially marginalised (CARM) women, women with disability, or transgender women are often overlooked.
Ignoring these intersections can make people feel invisible, not only because they’re not recognised, but because the frameworks we use are too simplistic to reflect their experiences.
Consider:
- A Brown woman who is also autistic faces compounded marginalisation at work due to her neurodivergence, gender, and racial background. Simply addressing gender or racial discrimination will not fully address the inequity she faces.
- A First Nations employee who is also LGBTQ+. Which employee network do they turn to when facing workplace discrimination? Are their experiences fully acknowledged by either?
- A CARM woman (who rarely encounters others like her in leadership) seeking mentorship to help her progress at work. While a white woman in a leadership position may be able to help navigate aspects of workplace sexism, she is less likely to understand or be able to address the CARM woman’s experiences with gendered racism.
These experiences are not uncommon. They are the people D&I work must centre if we want to drive real, lasting change.
What does intersectional D&I work look like?
To support organisations and practitioners on this journey, DCA has released the Applying Intersectionality at Work guidelines, developed by DCA’s Scholar in Residence, Dr Virginia Mapedzahama. A key voice in the conversation about intersectionality in Australian workplaces, Dr Mapedzahama brought her lived experience as a CARM woman and her subject matter expertise as a race scholar to the development of this essential resource.
The guidelines focus on five keys for good practice, covering two equally important steps: building critical foundational knowledge and taking practical action. This includes increasing your intersectional literacy, understanding power dynamics in your workplace, determining the best intersectionality approach, and ensuring your D&I efforts both centre the voices of and are co-created by the most marginalised people in your organisation. Together, these steps form a clear roadmap for building an organisation that is more inclusive and equitable for everyone.
Why? Because when we take an intersectional approach to D&I, we:
- increase innovation, collaboration, partnerships and community
- ensure our efforts aren’t leaving the most marginalised behind
- address multiple inequities at the same time
- better understand the complexity of marginalisation and unequal power dynamics
- meet our ethical responsibilities where the law is not quite enough.
Combating ‘performative’ inclusion with an intersectional approach
In today’s climate of heightened scrutiny, a siloed approach to inclusion is no longer enough. Surface-level policies without structural change aren’t just ineffective, they can cause harm.
Intersectionality gives us the framework to shift from ‘fixing’ individuals to fixing systems that reinforce inequality, which means our D&I work is more likely to create meaningful, long-term organisational change. Because when our D&I work focuses on the most marginalised, we create better outcomes for all employees.
Explore the guidelines to find out more
DCA members can access the Applying Intersectionality at Work guidelines now. Not a member yet? Find out more or enquire now.