An Introduction to Intersectionality (That Actually Makes Sense)
This piece was informed by the reflections, frameworks, and insights shared during a recent WORTHshop facilitated by Mariat Jibril, a community leader whose work invites women to lead with clarity, care, and impact. Her approach helped make space for this conversation, and much of the language and learning here was shaped by her guidance.
If you’ve ever found yourself in a meeting where everyone was nodding along to words like “equity” or “intersectionality”, but no one quite knew what came next…
You’re not alone. In fact, during our recent WORTHshop, we asked participants about their familiarity with the concept of intersectionality. Only 40% said they felt fluent. Another 30% had heard the term but weren’t confident in their understanding, and the remaining 30% had never heard it before.
Maybe you’ve felt unsure how to participate in the conversation without saying the wrong thing. Unsure if you’re allowed to ask questions, or if you’re expected to already know the answers. So you nod along, hoping your silence reads as agreement, not confusion.
Or maybe you’ve been one of the few in the room, noticing the disconnect between the words being said and the actions being taken. Watching as the language of inclusion is used freely, while the structures, behaviours, and habits stay exactly the same.
Maybe you've experienced that subtle tension: the weight of wanting to speak up, not knowing how, or not wanting to be the only one to do so, again.
These moments are more common than we talk about. And they can leave all of us feeling stuck, disconnected, or quietly discouraged.
So let’s slow down and get clear, not for the sake of being more comfortable, but to make the work more effective.
What Intersectionality Actually Means
“Intersectionality is a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects.” - Kimberlé Crenshaw
Intersectionality is a framework for understanding how different aspects of a person’s identity (like race, gender, class, disability, and more) combine to shape unique experiences of privilege and oppression.
Coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, the term helps us recognize that systems of power like racism, sexism, ableism, and classism don’t operate in isolation. They overlap. And when they do, they compound. That overlap can deepen disadvantage, and it can also reveal where change is most urgently needed.
If you’re a woman of colour, you don’t just experience racism and sexism. You experience the unique friction that comes from both, often in ways that are hard to separate or fully explain. The same is true for someone who’s queer and neurodivergent. Or disabled and racialized. Or any combination of identities that don’t “fit” what dominant systems are built around.
Intersectionality is about making those experiences visible. Not to label or divide us, but to build systems that reflect the real, layered lives people are actually living.
Why Does It Matter at Work?
Because people bring their whole selves to work, whether or not we make space for that.
In hospitality, where people are constantly adapting to serve others, it’s easy to overlook how much adapting they’re doing behind the scenes just to feel included:
A staff member who fasts during Ramadan but is always scheduled for lunch events.
A non-binary team member who’s told to wear a “women’s” uniform.
A newcomer whose strong accent makes them feel underestimated, even when they’re the most qualified in the room.
Intersectionality helps us understand why these moments matter.
Because they’re not isolated. They’re patterns. And patterns are what shape someone’s experience of inclusion, or exclusion.
Equality Isn’t the Goal. Equity Is.
A phrase we hear often in workplaces is, “We treat everyone the same.”
It sounds fair. But it doesn’t lead to fairness.
If two people start in very different places, giving them the exact same resources won’t get them to the same outcome. Equity means adjusting the support so that everyone has a chance to thrive, not just those who already had a head start.
“Treating everyone the same can feel good on the surface,” Mariat said.
“But it often leaves out the people who needed something different to begin with.”
Bias Doesn’t Always Shout
Bias isn’t always loud or obvious. It often shows up quietly, in who gets heard, who gets hired, and who gets credit.
It’s in the assumptions we don’t notice, the habits we don’t question, and the patterns we mistake for “just how things are.”
No one has to mean harm for harm to happen.
Intersectionality gives us the tools to recognize these patterns and interrupt them, before they harden into culture.
Where to Start
Leadership, formal or informal, comes with the responsibility to create spaces where people feel seen, heard, and valued. For those beginning that work, here are some ways to get started.
Listen deeply: To understand, not to reply.
Offer real choice: In uniforms, schedules, time off, and participation.
Audit business practices: Who gets visibility, mentorship, or stretch opportunities?
Design with difference in mind: Don’t wait for someone to disclose a need.
Celebrate year-round: Not just during Pride Month or Black History Month.
Check in with your bias: Not from shame, but from curiosity and care.
And most of all? Lead with empathy.
A Final Word from Mariat
“Return to your default setting,” she said.
“Kindness. Empathy. Love. That’s where we all started, before we learned bias, before we learned fear.”
Intersectionality isn’t about guilt. It’s not about saying the perfect thing. It’s about learning to see each other more clearly, and choosing to lead from that place.
Because when people feel seen, valued, and safe to show up fully? That’s when true belonging begins.
For deeper learning, Mariat recommends Inclusion on Purpose by Ruchika Tulshyan, a clear and compassionate read for any leader who wants to do better.