Intersectional Feminism: From The Sidelines Into The Arena

This directly impacts those who benefit from investments, whose innovations are recognised, and ultimately, the lasting change we can achieve.?

Intersectional Feminism gives us a framework to understand these dynamics. It recognises that women's experiences and struggles are not uniform. A woman in rural Kenya will face different barriers than a woman in an urban centre or a trans woman anywhere on the continent. Ignoring these intersections means our solutions to challenges like poverty, climate change, or healthcare will remain incomplete or even harmful to marginalised groups.?

In March’s Edition of #Last Thursdays that was co-hosted by MaqC Eric Gitau and Phelsia Kojwang , we talked extensively about what it looks like to move from the sidelines into the arena with Intersectional Feminist Leadership at the forefront. With our esteemed guests Njeri Wa Migwi who is the Cofounder of Usikimye , a Kenyan organisation that works towards ending the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV), Fatumata Binta Sall (She/They) from who is a human rights activist from Liberia and Zawadi Mashego who is the Co-Founder of The Queer Republic(TQR) , we had an enriching conversation on intersectional feminism that included varied and needed perspectives from West, South and East Africa.?

While feminism is a nebulous concept that can’t be exhausted in a 90-minute conversation, we explored topics that helped us to;

• Highlight and extensively understand the impact of intersectional feminist leadership on various social impact areas in the African scene beyond gender and into areas like economic empowerment, climate action, current politics, healthcare, tech, etc. And to
• Generate a discussion rooted in an understanding of feminism from an Afrocentric perspective which the helped us to;

1. Understand the nuances and perspectives of 4 African women representing West, East and South Africa and how their understanding of intersectional feminism informs and has changed the meaning of work in the social impact space.?
2. Explore hands-on strategies these women have used to address social matters from an IF perspective.
3. Inspire action amongst all participants to dismantle different forms of oppression, strive for systemic balance, and achieve social justice.

Through this conversation, it was apparent to us that Intersectional Feminism is the key to equity because as Njeri Wa Migwi rightfully put it, "Our inequalities are not equal." The ways in which womxn experience different forms of oppression due to systems and aspects such as capitalism, religion, race and ability ultimately varies due to different factors like the communities that they exist in. In addition, depending on where one comes from, the definition of feminism carries certain connotations that make it very hard for different women to relate to or even identify as feminists. This is why it is important for African women to deconstruct the meaning of feminism away from Western definitions of what it means to be or look like a feminist.

While Western definitions of feminism carry some aspects of reform, they do not fully recognize the experiences of womxn in the global majority and do not entirely advocate for a revolution in systems and structures . Further, apart from theorising, they do not consider alternative methods of working against oppression and existing in a patriarchal world. Zawadi Mashego uses art to advocate for the freedom of queer people in South Africa. She reminded us of artivism as an act of defiance and a place of rest because rest and recovery is equally revolutionary.

It was important to also clearly state through this conversation, that the goal of Intersectional Feminism is not so that womxn can exist in oppressive structures but that these structures could be completely abolished as there is no safety or consideration for womxn in them. Phelsia Kojwang drove this point home by reiterating the importance of moving from hierarchical structures with instituted power dynamics in workplaces to systems where everyone has a voice and is considered a person because after all, feminism is the radical notion that women are people. She also reminded us that we should bring back sessions and convenings that aim to raise the consciousness of different people to understand intersectional feminism and the complex nuances that arise from it.

In her explanation of how we could ensure equity with the social impact sector, Fatumata Binta Sall (She/They) encouraged donors to be inclusive in their work and move from checking the box or supporting organisations for which they have traditionally had a bias towards. She stated that this was important for the emancipation of women in all their diversities, whether queer, black African or with different abilities. Her sentiments reminded us that working towards impact and sustainability means learning to pursue meaningful engagement.

As Development Dynamics, we are constantly learning and leaning towards ensuring we have a concrete internal understanding of intersectional feminism and are working in the social impact space as contributors, disruptors and learners who are willing to partner with other organisations that champion for Intersectional Feminist Leadership. We look forward to a future that is welcoming of intersectional feminism as a concept and as a practice and invite you to consider this radical notion that women are people.