In 1989, Kimberlé Crenshaw, a legal scholar coined the term “Intersectionality”. It is a framework for the intertwining of social identities such as gender, race, ethnicity, social class, religion, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity, which can result in unique experiences, opportunities, and barriers. Intersectionality is basically the idea that people are a sum of all their identities. Each of these identities either affords an advantage or discounts a disadvantage, which affects your lived experience that cannot be explained by a singular dimension.
It attempts to highlight the marginalized and underrepresented group for e.g. being a woman of colour and being a woman. This example seems repetitive, doesn’t it? Well, that is the point of understanding intersectionality. Being a woman is one dimension of identity, the challenges of being a woman of colour is an added layer of complexity.
Intersectionality in the Workplace:
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives in the workplace are often prey to tokenism or are uni-dimensional. For example, let’s consider two groups: Disability & a disabled individual identifying as a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. There will be overlapping familiarity however, the experience of an LGBTQIA+ individual will be unique. The idea is not as simple as adding up the barriers, every unique experience requires consideration when implementing a DE&I initiative.
Intersectionality brings with itself an opportunity to harness the power of a diverse workforce to improve profitability. Companies with gender, ethnic and racial diversity are at least 15% more likely to experience above-average financial returns. Companies within the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to do the same.
Why focus on Intersectionality?
- To avoid a futile DE&I initiative
When you fail to take into account intersectionality, you inadvertently don’t provide the necessary accommodations for all the members of your organisation forcing them to feel left out causing more harm than good. - Pay-parity
On average, women are paid much lower than men for the same jobs. However, black women are paid even lower than Hispanic women. - Career Development
Marginalised and underrepresented communities receive less training, opportunities to perform and/or to interact with senior leadership. - Hiring practices
An experimental study in Belgium found a ‘double jeopardy’ problem for Maghreb/Arab women applying for high-cognitive demanding jobs. Their resumés were overlooked by HR professionals even though they were as well qualified for the roles as native/Belgian applicants. Bias and discrimination affect who gets hired. - Increased Turnover
People of colour who experienced microaggressions in the workplace were more likely to quit: more than a third (35%) of Black professionals intended to quit within two years compared with 27% of white professionals, with rates slightly higher for Black women (36%) than Black men (33%).
Healthcare provider Johnson & Johnson, for example, realized that to be successful in global diversity, it needed culturally appropriate efforts launched for every region. The company was struggling to combine its diversity efforts in the United States and Europe, so it conducted its first-ever live video conference on mutual perceptions, diversity and respect. Clients and employees reported increased productivity, and over 100 survey participants reported the conference was the most valuable training they had ever experienced.
What should organizations do?
- Managers must admit their lack of awareness & knowledge about intersectionality, opening the floor for more ideas, honesty and open communications. DE&I is a journey and not a destination, ensure to create a safe space to communicate.
- Leverage data, start analysing your engagement plans, attrition, turnover, etc. this data will help you establish a baseline for your organisation. A successful program will require buy-in from C-Suite management.
- Building an inclusive environment will ensure that more voices are heard, diverse opinions and perspectives are bought to the table when making critical decisions. In the United Kingdom, senior executive teams proved a 3.5 per cent increase in earnings before interest and taxes with every 10 per cent increase in gender diversity.
Chemistry giant BASF employs a talent dashboard that allows leaders to gauge D&I progress by asking comprehensive questions about their thoughts on the hiring process and retention trends. This ensures that multiple voices are heard and encourages employees to voice their opinions.
We are in need of a collective push toward recognizing the need for diverse thinkers coming from a variety of different backgrounds.
