“Women’s Issues” and Why That’s Not Enough
Recognizing that privilege and oppression may exist simultaneously within specified categories
There are set groups of issues that are often referred to as, “Women’s Issues.” This is problematic in the way that it suggests that all women will experience the issue similarly. Among the issues referred to by this term are domestic abuse and as a result, homelessness. Although one in three women experience domestic violence within their lifetimes, the degree to which this issue affects us varies drastically. These variations are a result of several factors such as our ethnicities, the shade of our skin, and the languages that we speak. This concept is discussed by Kimberle Crenshaw in “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color” and is referred to as intersectionality. Intersectionality recognizes the differences within groups of people that are often grouped together and allows for people within larger groups to have visibility.
To be a woman does not define experience; how we are treated is based on something far more complex than simply our gender. Our identities are created through a wide variety of characteristics such as class and privilege, skin color and tone, and sexual orientation. For this reason, it is not enough to say that women are affected by domestic abuse. When we read these headlines we must question: what women, how, and why? To say that women are affected by domestic abuse is not only a cheap attempt at creating solidarity among women but it has also created a societal narrative in which women are the victim. Although women who do experience abuse may experience it in similar ways, the aftermath of the abuse is completely skewed by the differences between us. In the United States, a heterosexual white women may receive aid from organizations such as The Salvation Army but a queer women of color may find it exceedingly difficult to receive the same type of aid from the same organization. I point out The Salvation Army because it is a popular organization that one may think to look up if we were to find ourselves in need. After doing a quick Google search stating, “The Salvation Army gay aid” I have come across countless articles advising queer people seeking aid to be cautious of The Salvation Army. Among the articles deterring queer people in need from reaching out to this organization is, “The Salvation Army’s History of Anti-LGBT Discrimination” by Zinnia Jones. In this article Zinnia gives examples of both anti-gay rhetoric found on The Salvation Army’s website and anti-gay action taken by the organization. For many people, the reality of need is not as simple as visiting a homeless shelter. For marginalized groups, finding an organization that openly supports causes that apply to us may take significantly more time than what is afforded.
In addition to this, we must be mindful of the effect that discrimination has on those discriminated against. In “The Importance of Intersectionality: Multiple Forms of Discrimination and Health” Eric Anthony Grollman discusses the effects that discrimination has on youth and states that, “Youth who face multiple forms of discrimination and more frequent discrimination report worse self-rated physical health and more depressive symptoms than youth who face fewer forms and less frequent discrimination…” Continuing with my example of queer women of color and homelessness, after experiencing abuse and discrimination, one may become untrusting of others and organizations that truly want to provide aid for marginalized groups. Factors such as this are often overlooked, but this distrust as a result of abuse significantly widens the gap between oppressed groups and helpful resources. The simplification of groups is counter-productive. To advertise “helpful resources” that only aim to aid a specific group of women is not only putting women who don’t apply to their standards in danger, but it also creates a false sense in society that all women who need aid have several options and can readily receive aid when they seek it.
