Of late I have written a fair bit about feminism and intersectionality in an attempt to get the word out and assist the wider public’s understanding of how oppression is encountered differently based on identity. I work within the disability inclusive development sector and therefore I am much more aware and attune to the struggles of women with disabilities within the countries I manage and visit as part of my job. Last night I was lucky enough to attend a session on intersectionality here in Melbourne run by IWDA. In which a panel of speakers from different and varying backgrounds spoke of their experiences within the feminist movement and how this was nuanced based on other elements of their identity.
These women were articulate, passionate and thoroughly engaging and had the audience utterly captivated as they told their stories. As activists they spoke of the issues in which are prominent to them and explained the difficulties involved with how the feminist movement has been represented in the past. This was mainly around being front and centre represented by cis gendered, middle aged, middle to upper class white women. Jax Jackie Brown, a disability and LGBTQI activist spoke of being belittled and demeaned by other women who questioned the everyday difficulties she faces as a woman with disability when attempting to move freely across our city. She spoke of the cross examination and never ending questioning she is put through each and every day when she attempts to explain how inaccessible transport systems, infrastructure and road networks make her daily movements an impenetrable task on most occasions.
Jax’s experience in this context is painfully common as a person with a disability and she expressed this as much. However, what shocked her, and me plus the rest of the room even more, was her account of how other women, advocates and activists within the feminist movement have questioned her experience and made comments such as ‘well surely it isn’t that bad…’. For eons within the feminist movement we have spoken about how men continue to ‘mansplain’, speak over us and question whether things are ‘really that hard’ for us. It seems eerily absurd to me then that we are continuing to perpetuate this cycle within the feminist movement ourselves to those who have previously and still continue to sit on the fringes of society.
In recent times people, and especially men, are quick to lecture me on the fact that ‘the times are changing’ and point to more and more women being appointed as CEOs of large multi-nationals and corporate entities. They refer to these women and say, ‘see equality exists’. However, my response is always ‘and how many of these women are women of colour? How many are women with disabilities? How many are women who identify as being LGQTI?’. The short answer tho this is few to none, if any.
Until we comprehend that it isn’t a competition of who is subjugated the most, we will never successfully move forward with the struggle. I understand that my fight for equality and the oppression I feel daily is symptomatic of the same entrenched patriarchy that women such as Jax feel. However, I also understand that the ways in which we experience this component differ due to other elements of our identity. It is not my place to brutishly convince someone that their struggles are any more or less than my own. It is in fact my place to listen, to stand alongside women of colour, women with disabilities and those who identify as LGQTI and work together to further our rally cry of change, equality and justice.
Whilst yes we are all women, yes we are all feminists, we have to understand and admit that the feminist movement has not been representative of all the voices that encompass it in the past. We have failed to be intersectional, we have pushed the voices of those on the fringes even more to the side and we have questioned, demeaned and denigrated these and placed them in the ‘too hard basket’. We have focused on quick wins and not delved deeper into furthering the plight of those experiencing complex, varying and compounding oppressions.
Feminists, allies we CANNOT continue to do this. We need to be better as we forward. I say this today with every fibre of my being and I challenge you to do so yourselves… ‘My Feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit.’ PREACH!
Sx
I blog for Change. 