Intersectional Feminism: Awareness and how to contribute to gender equality

What is this and why I'm doing an entry about it

In this blog entry I have decided to raise awareness about feminism and how we can contribute to gender equality by helping women who face different forms of oppression depending on their social, economic or identity context. Defining intersectionality and how it relates to feminism today.

Although English is not my first language, I’ve chosen to write in it to reach a broader audience, as it is a widely spoken language. I apologize in advance for any mistakes.

Intersectionality: definition 

As Lucía Rios Bellagamba (July 1, 2022) said in her blog called "Qué es la interseccionalidad y por qué te importa saberlo" (What is intersectionality and why you should know about it) "In simple terms, intersectionality is the interaction between two or more social factors that define a person."

And in society, the concept of identity encompasses factors such as ethnicity, social class, and sexual/romantic orientation. This means that a woman who belongs to a racial minority may face discrimination in a way that is different than a white woman.

Feminism: definition and history

Feminism is a political, social and cultural movement about how equality is sought in society, it criticizes patriarchy and how men have been considered 'superior' over the years. Feminism seeks to raise awareness and equality, making changes in society to avoid discrimination and oppression of women. 

Counting 4 waves to date, it was in the 3rd where ethnicities, social classes and identity, etc. were added with more awareness in the 90s, giving a firmness and more empowerment to the movement.

What to do: a call to action

We all have a role to play in this society that has gradually freed itself from the barriers of inequality. Knowing our rights and knowing how our actions affect the world, educating ourselves and contributing to help others.

We are also aware that not everyone always has the opportunities to "change the world", such as age, social class and a thousand other circumstances. However, we can always help others even if it's just small actions, here I will mention different ways to create those changes in society.

• Let the people know

Educate yourself and educate others:

When you are going to talk about something, it's necessary to know the information of what is being communicated, much more if its something that can become so conflictive, as these types of movements are. 

Get information from different sources and form your own opinion, trying to educate others in a neutral way. It's not about simply repeating what you've read but about generating empathy. Approach the conversation in a way that allows the other person to feel heard, as long as they are open to listening. Remember to always talk about facts and not be defensive if an ignorant comment is made. 

• More specific actions

I wanted to mention things like financial support for women with economic difficulties or voting conscientiously; voting for politicians who respect diversity and intersectionality, Collaborate with health professionals to provide better physical and psychological health to women with a poor life context, among many more examples but I wanted to focus on things that we can all do, since minors cannot vote and not everyone has an account to be able to donate to an organization.

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For now, lets just try to do what we can, make people understand and act consciously. Whether it’s educating ourselves, speaking up for those who cant, or just sharing information to raise awareness, everyone has a role to play. Feminism is not just about the grand gestures or the monumental shifts, its also about the everyday acts of solidarity and support.

Thanks for reading this and I hope to continue creating blogs of this type.

Written by Li (Angelino)