Intersectionality & sustainable equality work: pushback and resistance

This working paper is the result of a Knowledge Exchange Event organised by The Inspire Project in Vienna in September 2024. Participants engaged in a discussion based on the understanding that sustaining change for gender equality requires an intersectional approach. We examined different types of resistance and pushback often driven by those who benefit from existing power structures. We began by recognising that power is central to change, explored why intersectional equality encounters increased resistance, and progressed toward identifying solutions and best practices. Previously, we identified several challenges linked to adopting an intersectional approach for sustainable equality change, such as the lack of knowledge and understanding regarding the implications and definitions of intersectional equality work. The complexity of intersectionality arises as national policies and laws are often based on single axes of exclusion, making it challenging to collect intersectional data. Additionally, resistance to Intersectional Approaches exists because some topics are deemed taboo, such as race and gender identities, particularly trans identities. Other challenges include policy rollbacks, cultural inertia, institutional bias, and hierarchies of discrimination that prioritise certain forms of inequality over others, creating what is termed the “discrimination Olympics”, in which diversity and inclusion issues compete for resources.