Feminism must be all-inclusive to be proper.
We discovered that a number of feminists did not understand or even know what Intersectional Feminism entailed.
Intersectional Feminism is a very valid aspect of feminism in that you can’t claim to advocate for the rights of women and deliberately choose to leave out certain kind of women whose ideologies, culture, lifestyle or beliefs do not agree with yours.
I raise up my voice not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.
We cannot all succeed when half of us are being held back.
-MALALA YOUSAFZAI
In light of this, on the 24th April, 2020, we held a discussion on the Whispers telegram groupchat (https://t.me/WhisperToHumanity) titled INTERSECTIONAL FEMINISM.
Mary presented a write-up prepared for this discussion:
I believe that feminism is the movement for women emancipation and equality of every person, regardless of sex or gender.
Intersectional feminism is the form of feminism where other form of oppressions affecting women, which are interlaced with sexism, are recognised.
To explain, intersectional feminism recognises the oppressions related to race, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation that women suffer at the same times that they suffer sexism. It aims at making sure that these problems, which make the burden of sexism more unbearable, are not ignored and properly addressed.
The problems are in the range of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability, class and nationality, but there may be many more.
Intersectional feminism makes sure the women who feel these unique forms of oppression do not feel alone or hopeless, in comparison to their more privileged counterparts.
Question —On a personal note, can you tell us the forms of oppressions which are laced with sexism that you face?
Answers
-Mary
Being young makes it harder for people to listen to me. To them, I’m a little girl who doesn’t understand how the world works, or I’m just being rebellious and would eventually change my mind.
They’re like ‘a man will change your mind’ and I’m there like 😑.
What does youthful exuberanice have to do with me believing that I am equal to my male counterparts?
One of my teachers told us that after her first degree, without marriage, a girl becomes a liability.
C O:
Since I finished school, apart from my dad who will always say he prays I work, every other person is telling me to starting thinking of marriage, that after school is marriage. They won't even ask what you want to do with your life. When you say you want a career first, they will tell you they hope you don't remain single forever.
-Ifeanyi Oluchi June
Personally, oppressions I have experienced includes ethnicity, religion, weight and a couple of others.
Question
-So from what you know, do you think intersectional feminism is necessary? If yes, why?
If no, why?
Answers
-Mary
Yes. It’s necessary because feminism must be all-inclusive to be proper. Ignoring what our less-privileged sisters are facing would be selfish on our part.
C O:
Yes it is. A good number of benefits we enjoy today were contributed by intersectional feminists.