Almost five decades ago, Palestinian academic and activist Edward Said noted how ideas can lose their original meanings as they travel across different contexts.
This has happened to “intersectionality,” a term we increasingly see in multiple sectors and disciplines. Like a story passed from person to person, the meaning of intersectionality has shifted — sometimes in ways that move us away from its roots.
However, the term was not always a buzzword. Intersectionality stems from centuries of radical Black feminist, women of color, and decolonial feminist resistance and theorizing, which name their experiences of oppression in their everyday lives. As the term expands across academic, nonprofit, and development spaces, it can sometimes be watered down or depoliticized, like other feminist concepts such as “empowerment” or “gender mainstreaming.” Drifting too far from these concepts’ origins risks losing the political edge they were meant to sharpen.
Today, intersectionality is everywhere, but that does not mean everyone feels confident in its definition, history, or application. As bell hooks reminds us, feminism is for everybody. Our work as feminist activists means creating space for collective learning, open questioning, and growing as social justice advocates with humility and care.
This primer is one attempt to return to the heart of intersectionality. It offers feminist organizations working to end VAWG a resource when theory can feel distant from the realities we face.
The goal is not to police language or ideas but to make intersectional thinking and practice feel useful, relevant, and rooted in collective struggle. When we understand the origins of intersectionality and how to apply it, we can pursue its mission with intention and care, calling us to challenge injustice and envision new ways of living grounded in a vision of liberation.
This primer was written by Leah Goldmann, with sincere gratitude to Rachel Fatima Salia as a brainstorming partner, COFEM Coordinating Committee members Kirthi Jayakumar, Lauren Messina, and Joy Watson for their thoughtful reviews.
