In SAGE Athena Swan (or any equity work, for that matter), we need to recognise that a person’s identity is shaped by a range of factors including gender identity and expression, cultural and linguistic background, disability status and sexuality. These aspects interact with each other in ways that may compound disadvantage or privilege. We refer to this concept as intersectionality.

To achieve positive outcomes for everyone in a target group, organisations must take an intersectional approach to designing, implementing and evaluating their policies and initiatives. In fact, it’s one of the SAGE Athena Swan principles:

#7: Take an intersectional approach to advancing gender equity, diversity and inclusion, recognising that people of any particular identity are not a homogeneous group.

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