What is intersectionality?
In recent years, feminism, intersectionality, and leadership diversity have come to the forefront of public discourse regarding DEI. However, even coming to a consensus on the definitions of these terms is no easy task. For example, the UMKC Women's Center defines feminism as, “the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes” (2020), and while this is a fight for all of us, including men, women, and non-binary people, the stakes are arguably not equally high for everyone. There are various aspects, both visible and invisible, that contribute to differing experiences of oppression, such as race, age, sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability, and socioeconomic status. These identity characteristics intersect differently and lead to unique lived experiences. A Black woman with a disability, a queer Hispanic woman, a Muslim woman wearing a headscarf, and a white woman experiencing homelessness all share similarities because they are women, but they likely have vastly different experiences and barriers in the workplace. The key to dismantling barriers and fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment is learning about intersectionality and how it contributes to women’s barriers within the workplace.
The term “intersectionality” was coined in 1989 by critical race theorist and civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw. Historically, the term was used to describe the specific experiences of Black women. During the 1980s, there were anti-racist movements centered predominantly around Black men. Simultaneously, feminist campaigns focused on the experiences of white women – oftentimes disregarding the unique obstacles faced by Black women (Understood, n.d.). Seeing inequality as a single-identity issue, or as separate experiences based on each identity characteristic (e.g. sexism as entirely separate from racism) is disconnected from the reality of the folks experiencing discrimination.
For example, Black women tend to earn less income than their white, male colleagues who are doing the same job. This is likely not due to discrimination based on their gender identity or race, but rather the intersection of their gender identity and race. Intersectionality is therefore essential to understanding pay disparity since it is a holistic view into the factors that affect compensation. According to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “pay inequity is not solely an issue of sex discrimination, but an intersectional issue that cuts across race, color, national origin, and other protected classes” (2021).
The impact of intersectionality in the workplace
Organizations must use an intersectional lens to establish inclusive work environments that provide equal opportunities to all women. Establishing safe spaces to listen to women’s experiences with barriers and biases is the first step in understanding the identity characteristics of employees and addressing organizational challenges. To make real progress in the lives of women dealing with layered, intersectional issues, such as ableism, racism, national origin-based discrimination, and religious discrimination, the solutions must account for these intersecting experiences.
Acknowledging the compounded effects of multiple biases and barriers that impact women in the workplace is foundational to creating multilayered inclusion efforts that are weaved into the fiber of organizational practices. While many of these barriers are unrelated to individual skill gaps, organizations continue to invest heavily – if not exclusively – in skills development programs like mentoring and coaching. These initiatives focus on reducing the individual employee’s skill gaps, changing the individual in the program rather than the systemic barriers they face and organizational context they exist within. These initiatives also have limited impact on leadership diversity and similar metrics. Given that addressing organizational barriers is foundational to improving diversity in higher levels of leadership, skills development programs are ultimately not enough. Many organizations try to address these barriers with mentoring and coaching programs , but they focus on skill development and often miss the benefits of acknowledging intersectionality within the workplace.
The power of formal employee sponsorship programs
Employee sponsorship is the active advocacy of a senior leader (the sponsor) on behalf of a more junior employee (the sponsoree). Employee sponsorship can make a real impact as the sponsor uses their role and influence to leverage opportunities for their sponsoree. Sponsorship supports career advancement by challenging external barriers for the sponsoree, identifying opportunities for them, and advocating on their behalf for a position, promotion, development opportunity, or similar goal. Sponsorship focuses on addressing systemic barriers at an organizational level, which makes it distinct from traditional learning methods and far more effective at making a tangible impact on equitable leadership opportunities.
Employee sponsorship programs contribute to a meaningful employee experience, encourage all employees to achieve their full potential, and promote innovative thinking and thought diversity. Formal sponsorship programs are not widely understood and often used as mentoring and coaching programs, but it is likely that many leaders already engage in informal sponsorship by advocating for individuals in their own networks or teams. This results in leaders, often unintentionally, promoting employees that look and think like themselves, perpetuating the exclusion of women and other underrepresented employees. By establishing a formal employee sponsorship program, organizations can take charge in providing women who are underrepresented in leadership and face barriers to career advancement with targeted and meaningful support.
To learn more about McLean & Company's Build an Employee Sponsorship Program research, visit McLean & Company (mcleanco.com). If you are interested in learning more about our research and services, please reach out to jcampbell@mcleanco.com.
Works Cited:
Heyl, J. “What Is Intersectionality?” Verywell Mind, May 2023. Accessed July 2024.
“In Pursuit of Pay Equity: Examining Barriers to Equal Pay, Intersectional Discrimination Theory, and Recent Pay Equity Initiatives.” US EEOC, November 2021. Accessed July 2024.
Lewis, A. "So What Is Feminism Anyway?" UMKC Women's Center, 12 November 2020. Accessed July 2024.
Studenroth, J. “What’s Intersectionality in the Workplace?” Understood, n.d. Accessed 23 July 2024.
Thompson, E. “What Is Intersectionality? And Why Does It Matter in the Workplace?” Diversity and Ability, September 2023. Accessed July 2024.