Intersectionality explained: How understanding it can improve DEI

Intersectionality is one of many buzzwords that have been circulating workplace discussions recently. But what does the term mean, and how can understanding it give a boost to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)?

According to Tech Diversity Foundation executive director Luli Adeyemo, intersectionality is an overlooked but crucial component of DEI. The term, as described by the Victorian government, “refers to the ways in which different aspects of a person’s identity can expose them to overlapping forms of discrimination and marginalisation”.

“Let me give you an example. You hear a lot around companies, and they will talk about the number of females they have represented in the business. Great. But then, when you look at what percentage of those emails are in executive roles and you see it’s declined. That’s the thing about data; you can use it to tell the story you want people to hear,” explained Ms Adeyemo.

“So, it’s the intersectionality of that particular data point that you’re talking about and how it crosses with another data point. And that’s why we talk a lot about diversity within gender. So, you’ve got 56 per cent female. How many of those have got a disability? How many of those speak a different language from a different culture, [and] are in senior leadership roles? So, we’re looking at how one data point intersects with another and the change that then has on the result.”

Understanding the nuances of these ideas is a great way to reach true diversity, equity, and inclusion. Intersectionality plays an important role in this, as it digs deeper than your average data set by breaking down diversity at every level.

Ms Adeyemo commented: “It’s very easy to be patting ourselves on the back because we’ve achieved one data point. When the conversation around diversity often is on gender, there’s a lot of programs and initiatives around females in the workplace and increase in the female representation in the workplace, which is an important conversation and priority to have.”

“But when we talk about representation, we need to look at the diversity beyond gender because often what happens is the female role often is a carbon copy of the male counterpart. So, you’re not really diversifying in regards to getting a representation of viewpoints, of religions, of experiences, of abilities, [and] disabilities that exist in society. So, I think you’ve really got to think about this when we go back to representation because it’s not just a male-female conversation; it’s all the other character traits that we identify with as humans that we need to take into consideration.”

According to Ms Adeyemo, the organisations that are getting this right are those that see DEI and intersectionality as a strategic priority. Those who fail to understand the impact of these themes run the risk of falling behind.

“It’s not a short-term win; it’s a long-term strategy. We recognise in sport that the team that’s going to be the best is the one that’s got the most diversity of representation in the team. I’m from the UK, so I grew up watching football in the 70s; back then, all of the football teams in the UK were working-class men from the town of the club, so consequently, they all looked and pretty much played a very similar game,” Ms Adeyemo said.

“It was the Football Association in the 80s that came together and said, ‘We want to build the best football league in the world. But recognise if we’re going to do that, we need the best talent from around the world.’ Not just the best players. The best physios, the best coaches. But we can’t go to Brazil and just bring them over to Nottingham and expect that they’re going to thrive in that environment when we don’t know enough about them.”

She continued: “So, they committed to really getting to understand the different cultures, the different religions that they needed to know, to be able to create the environment, to bring this talent into their teams and create an environment for them to thrive.”

Applying these ideas to other businesses could help to turn representation around and create truly diverse workplaces.

“If all industries took that approach in regards to having a long-term strategy where we want to create the best organisation that’s representative of whatever it is we’re looking to achieve as a business, then imagine how great we could be,” Ms Adeyemo outlined.

“But people aren’t patient; they want short-term wins. And that’s why they’ll have an initiative, which is around First Nations, people have an initiative around females, and they’ll bring people into the business without understanding those people, therefore not creating the right environment for them to thrive, and then they leave.”

The transcript of this podcast episode was slightly edited for publishing purposes. To listen to the full conversation with Luli Adeyemo, click below: