“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives”
– Audre Lorde
Intersectionality has become a crucial lens through which we understand human rights. Intersectionality, a term coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, describes how various facets of identity, including race, gender, class, and sexual orientation, intersect to create distinct experiences of privilege and oppression. Understanding and incorporating intersectionality into human rights work is crucial for young advocates to build inclusive and successful campaigns.
Understanding Intersectionality
At its core, intersectionality emphasises that people do not experience their identities in isolation. A young woman who is both Black and disabled will face discrimination not just for being Black or disabled but for the combined effects of both identities. This creates overlapping layers of discrimination that are often overlooked by traditional human rights frameworks, which tend to focus on single-issue identities.
Historically, social justice movements have acknowledged the necessity for an intersectional strategy, even if the phrase itself was not commonly used until the 1980s. During the American Civil Rights Movement, for example, feminists of colour contended that mainstream feminism frequently overlooked the unique challenges faced by women of colour. Similarly, LGBTQ+ activists highlighted how race and class intersect with gender and sexuality to shape individual experiences.
Intersectionality usage is set to British English
provides a framework for understanding how overlapping social identities (such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, etc.) interact to shape unique experiences and access to human rights. For youth, this becomes especially relevant, as they often face multiple forms of discrimination simultaneously. This holistic approach ensures that marginalised voices are heard and their specific experiences of oppression addressed. One useful tool here is the Youth Rights Advocacy Toolkit developed by the OHCHR, which outlines advocacy strategies for youth in vulnerable situations and emphasises the need for a focus on intersectionality in human rights
The Realities of Intersectionality in Youth Advocacy
These interactions have a particularly significant effect on young people. The interconnected global crises of racial injustice, gender discrimination, economic inequality, and climate change have moulded the society that today's youth live in. People's experiences with these challenges vary depending on the various identities they possess. Compared to their peers, a young queer person of colour may encounter particular difficulties getting access to safe housing, healthcare, and education.
Consider climate change activism as an example. Although everyone is impacted by environmental degradation, young people from marginalized backgrounds are disproportionately affected. The Global South in particular has a disproportionate amount of youth living in low-income communities who are more prone to suffer the worst effects of environmental disasters. Yet, their voices are often underrepresented in climate advocacy movements, which are sometimes led by those from more privileged backgrounds.
The Center for Intersectional Justice (CIJ), a European organisation focused on combatting inequality, discusses how intersectional advocacy is vital to address the discrimination experienced by marginalised communities. In particular, CIJ looks at how European human rights frameworks have historically failed to fully address the discrimination faced by women of colour, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ youth. The organisation's intersectional approach seeks to highlight the overlap of race, gender, and economic status, pushing for legislative and policy changes that reflect these layered experiences.
For youth human rights advocates, CIJ’s work demonstrates that it’s not enough to work on a single issue; instead, human rights advocacy must confront the structures that contribute to multiple forms of discrimination at once. This means addressing not just individual acts of racism or sexism but the structural inequalities that allow these forms of oppression to persist. Youth movements, especially in Europe, need to be aware of how policies, social practices, and public attitudes are intertwined and must aim for systemic changes that benefit all marginalised groups.
The Importance of Inclusive Advocacy
Inclusive advocacy is about ensuring that no one is left behind. Intersectional human rights advocacy, by recognizing the diverse identities and experiences of individuals, allows for a more holistic and comprehensive approach to addressing inequality. When youth-led advocacy groups embrace intersectionality, they can craft more effective campaigns that resonate with a wider audience and achieve more equitable outcomes.
There are several strategies for integrating intersectionality into advocacy:
Intersectional Training: Advocates need to be educated on how identity factors such as race, gender, class, and ability intersect. Many organizations provide workshops and training sessions that help young activists understand the complexity of their peers' lived experiences.
Diverse Leadership: Leadership within advocacy groups should reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. Having individuals with various identities in decision-making positions ensures that campaigns are inclusive and that underrepresented voices are heard and represented.
Collaborative Partnerships: Youth movements should build coalitions with organisations that focus on different aspects of identity. By working together, groups can address the unique experiences of individuals at the intersection of multiple forms of discrimination.
For example, the organisation Fridays for Future has increasingly recognized the need for an intersectional approach to climate activism. While originally Eurocentric, the movement now centres voices from Indigenous communities, youth from the Global South, and activists from marginalised backgrounds, who are disproportionately impacted by climate injustice. This change emphasises how critical it is to acknowledge intersectionality and incorporate it into larger social movements.
Challenges and Barriers to Intersectional Advocacy
Intersectional activism is not without difficulties, despite its significance. Movements themselves frequently oppose intersectionality, particularly when their campaigning is centred on single issues like gender or race. This resistance might manifest as a failure to recognize the variety within oppressed groups or as giving one group's rights precedence over another.
Furthermore, it might be challenging to resolve internal issues in advocacy groups. Divergent identities can also result in divergent priorities, and it takes deliberate thought to balance these within a coherent advocacy framework. This, however, is a difficulty that needs to be addressed by candid discussion and inclusive decision-making, not a justification for giving up on intersectional approaches.
Conclusion
Intersectionality serves as a powerful tool for youth advocates working in human rights. By addressing the interconnections between different forms of oppression, youth movements can create advocacy strategies that are nuanced, inclusive, and impactful. Whether in the context of climate justice, gender rights, or disability advocacy, applying an intersectional lens ensures that marginalised communities are both represented and empowered to lead the fight for their own rights.
By addressing the unique, overlapping identities that shape individuals' experiences, youth-led movements can create solutions that reflect the diversity of the human condition. As advocates, the responsibility is to bridge these identities and ensure that no one is left behind in the fight for justice. Thus, for youth today, intersectional advocacy is not just a strategy—it’s a necessity.
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