The power distribution has created an enormous gap within society, but recognizing and analyzing the many layers between them has had a profound impact on my life and my understanding of Social Justice.
My focus has been on women, and understanding how these layers affect them differently is crucial to continuing to advocate for their rights. Although I came to Canada as an immigrant and am now a Canadian citizen, I am a white, cisgender, married, middle-class woman with no disability, and I also had the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree. I have many privileges that easily put me in a better position to advocate. Still, without an understanding of different necessities and challenges, I would not be able to do so effectively.
Understanding justice as a socially constructed structure under political, economic, and gender power is crucial to recognizing women’s inequalities and addressing the roots of the unequal system. Hooks writes about the crucial importance of understanding how power operates within marginalized societies. Power is dominated and driven by political forces, and it is classified by race, class, and gender, placing marginalized people under layers of injustice (Hooks, 1998). When speaking about women who are oppressed by the system, we must understand that this already-sidelined group faces diverse challenges and overlapping oppressions.
From a privileged position like mine, it is essential to recognize the many struggles women endure in our society, whether in Canada, Brazil, or anywhere in the world. In Crenshaw’s work, she explains how women of colour live under the dual power of gender and race. We cannot view injustice through a single lens, since many forms of oppression intertwine in people’s lives (Crenshaw, 1991).
These understandings are crucial for advocating for women’s rights and reducing inequality through awareness, empathy, and actions that transform power structures into spaces of inclusion and equity.
References
Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241–1299.
Hooks, B. (1988). Feminist Theory from Margin to Center (4. pr). South End Pr.