Intersectionality: Why Overlapping Identities Matter at Work

What Is Intersectionality—and Why Does It Matter?

Inequity is rarely experienced through just one lens. People don’t live single-issue lives, and our identities—like race, gender, age, ability, and sexual orientation—interact in ways that shape how we’re treated and how we experience the world.

Intersectionality is the term for this. Coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, it describes how systems of discrimination and disadvantage can overlap, amplifying barriers for individuals who belong to multiple marginalized groups. It helps us understand why one-size-fits-all approaches to equity often fall short.

How Overlapping Identities Shape Workplace Realities

In many workplaces, diversity efforts focus on single identity categories—gender, race, or disability. But the reality is more complex. For example:

• Pay gaps vary significantly by race and gender. In the U.S., White women earn around $0.79 to every White man’s dollar. Black women earn $0.62, and Hispanic women earn just $0.54. These gaps highlight how both race and gender impact financial equity.

• Trans and non-binary employees face higher unemployment rates than their cisgender peers. In Canada, only 37% of trans people surveyed by Toronto’s Sherbourne Health Centre were employed full-time.

• Stereotypes and assumptions about intersecting identities—such as being both a person of colour and 2SLGBTQ+—can lead to isolation, misrepresentation, or exclusion in hiring, leadership, and promotion.

When identity markers intersect, so do the potential barriers—and this can have a profound impact on psychological safety, access to opportunity, and overall wellbeing.

Workplace Impacts of Overlapping Discrimination

Employees navigating multiple layers of identity may face:

• Fewer advancement opportunities or mentorship connections

• Pay inequities and underemployment

• Stereotyping or tokenism

• Higher rates of burnout or intent to leave

• Lack of representation in leadership

• Emotional stress from ‘code-switching’ or hiding aspects of their identity

• Lower engagement due to lack of belonging or safety

This isn’t just a social issue—it’s a workplace one. When people don’t feel welcome or supported, performance, retention, and team cohesion all suffer. Equity isn't just good for people—it’s good for organizations.

What Can Leaders, Teams, and Colleagues Do?

Creating equity requires more than awareness—it takes intentional action. Here are a few ways to start:

• Recognize that identities intersect: Avoid treating people as one-dimensional. Gender, race, disability, religion, and sexual orientation may all interact to shape someone’s experience.

• Check for blind spots: Who’s missing from your hiring pools, leadership teams, or project meetings? Why?

• Practice active inclusion: Make space for different voices. Amplify the contributions of those who may be overlooked.

• Use inclusive language: Avoid generalizations. Refer to people in ways that reflect their full identities.

• Reflect on privilege: Understand where you have advantages others may not—and use that insight to support fairer systems.

• Support equity programs: Encourage initiatives that address structural barriers and ensure they reflect the complexities of real people’s lives.

• Be an ally: Stand up against exclusion, offer support, and use your platform—big or small—to advocate for others.

Leading with Intention: Turning Awareness into Action

Creating a more equitable workplace and community starts with awareness—but it doesn’t end there. Leaders, teams, and individuals all have the power to break down barriers and build spaces where everyone can thrive.

By acknowledging how overlapping identities shape people’s experiences, and taking intentional steps to include, support, and amplify marginalized voices, we create cultures rooted in fairness, belonging, and shared success.

Intersectionality isn’t just a concept—it’s a call to action for those who want to lead with empathy, equity, and real impact.

References

1. Avery, D. (2021). “Nearly half of LGBTQ adults are religious, U.S. study finds.” Accessed 20 March 2025.

2. Baron, J. (2020). “Race, gender, and LGBTQ+ wage gaps are real—and they end up costing us all.” Accessed 20 March 2025.

3. Brown, R.L., & Eastin Moloney, M. (n.d.). “Intersectionality, work, and well-being: the effects of gender and disability.” Gender and Society. Accessed 20 March 2025.

4. Nath, I. (2018). “For transgendered women, the pay equity gap is even wider.”

5. Steinmetz, K. (2020). “She coined the term ‘intersectionality’ over 30 years ago. Here’s what it means to her today.” Time. Accessed 20 March 2025.

6. Canadian Council for Refugees. (n.d.). “The Wheel of Power. Anti-oppression.” Accessed 20 March 2025.

7. Tugend, A. (2018). “The Effect of Intersectionality in the Workplace.” Accessed 20 March 2025.