Section outline
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It is critical to understand that both women and youth are not homogenous groups. Other have intersectional identities that need special attention in utilizing an inclusive approach, such as considering their socio-economic status, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and ability.
But what is intersectionality? Originally coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, intersectionality is a way of thinking about identity and its relationship to power. It recognizes that people’s lives are shaped by their identities, relationships and social factors. These combine to create intersecting forms of privilege and oppression depending on a person’s context and existing power structures, such as patriarchy, ableism, colonialism, imperialism, homophobia and racism.
Source: UN Women. ‘’Intersectionality Resource Guide and Toolkit: An Intersectional Approach to Leave No One Behind.’’ 2021. https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2022/01/intersectionality-resource-guide-and-toolkit.
Pictured above is an intersectionality wheel. The innermost circle represents a person's unique circumstances. The second circle from inside represents aspects of identity. The third circle from the inside represents different types of discrimination/isms/attitudes that impact identity.
Utilizing an intersectional lens matters because it promotes more inclusive and responsive policymaking and services delivery and builds better stakeholder collaboration and trust by dismantling power structures and leaving no one behind.
Here are a few other helpful definitions to note:
Socio-Economic Status: The social standing or class of an individual or group can hinder the participation or leadership of individuals in society.
Persons with Disabilities: All persons with disabilities including those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various attitudinal and environmental barriers, hinders their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
Ethnic or Religious Minorities: A group that has different national, cultural, or religious traditions from the main population.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Pansexual and Allies (LGBTQIA+) Community: These terms are used to describe a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Social norms can dictate that due to these intersectional identity points, individuals who identify as part of these groups cannot actively or effectively participate in P/CVE efforts. Intersectional identities create additional barriers to participation and leadership and should be analyzed within P/CVE efforts. An example of a negative stereotype around marginalized communities can be that they don’t represent the views of the majority of the community, and therefore, don’t have a place within the P/CVE efforts.
Women and youth who are religious and ethnic minorities, who identify as LGBTQIA+, who have disabilities, and who come from different economic backgrounds will offer unique perspectives to their lived experiences and how they are specifically impacted by violent extremism. Their roles are also many and varied. Promoting equality and respect based on gender, age, sexual orientation, economic status, ethnicity, and religious affiliation is critical to addressing violent extremism, which is rooted in the idea of superiority that allows for the justification of violence and subjugation of others.
