What is Intersectionality?
The Commonwealth defines intersectionality as “the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination combine, overlap or intersect.”
What does the issue of climate change intersect with?
Climate change impacts everyone differently depending on a person's identity. A person's race, gender, sexuality, socio-economic status, ability, age, religion, and ethnicity are all factors into how climate change may impact them.
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For example, the way climate change impacts Black women living in poverty in Zambia is very different from the way climate change impacts white middle-class women in the United Kingdom because of their different identities such as race, socioeconomic status, and geolocation.
Why do identities and intersectional approaches matter?
Unfortunately, climate change doesn't impact everyone in the same way, and in order to solve the issue of climate change, we have to be specific in how we talk about its impacts. It is important to remember the diversity of commonwealth countries when writing your resolutions.