WOMEN, RACE AND CLIMATE

For the Kaleidoscope (Il Caleidoscopio) column, this month we address the topic of environmental and climate racism, and how climate change is perceived to a greater extent by the most vulnerable, marginalised and racialised social groups, and in particular, women. In this article we will focus on linking the concept of intersectionality to the topic of environmental and climate racism using feminist theories, and drawing insights from Angela Davis’ book “Women, Race and Class”, and Kimberle Crenshaw’s article “Demarginalising the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics”.

Disclaimer:

• The text deliberately uses the terms race, racialisation and racialising to refer to the process of constructing the social identity of black (non-white) people from the biological element of skin colour. 
• We are aware that the use of some terms may offend the sensibilities of some readers, so we ask you to be patient and if you have any comments please let us know. We are human and in a constant learning process: help us improve.

We have often noted in our articles how climate change impacts some countries and segments of society more than others. The data speak for themselves: according to the United Nations, women are 14 times more likely to die than men, due to their limited access to information, mobility, decision-making and resources. In this article, we will explain the reasons behind this problem, with an in-depth reflection on the intersection between women, race and climate. We will do so by recovering the feminist theories of Angela Davis and Kimberly Crenshaw, activists and theorists of the Black Feminism movement. In her famous book ‘Women, Race and Class’, Angela Davis, through a historical analysis, explores the forms of oppression that black women have suffered, not only as women but also as members of the African American community. It is in the context of these reflections that the term intersectionality was coined. 

This notion helps to ‘unravel’ the complexity of social relations, in which each individual is not considered uniquely, but as an overlay of different levels of identity, including gender, race, etc. The changing combination of these different identity elements gives rise to privileges, prejudices, oppressions and dominations that build a person’s social position and identity. An intersectional lens helps us to grasp the various forms in which racism can manifest itself. Take, for example, an average man in Italy: his gender is male, the colour of his skin is white, he speaks Italian, has a medium to high level of education, and has no physical or social impediments. Connecting the dots between these different dimensions, the average Italian can be defined as ‘privileged’. He can choose the job he likes best, get an adequate salary, or move around freely without being hindered by any prejudices. If, on the other hand, we invert a single factor to the previous description, namely gender, we observe how for the average Italian woman these privileges change drastically. In fact, being a woman, in a society that is still predominantly sexist, expectations, opportunities and privileges are quite different from those of a man.

Let us modify one more piece: skin colour. In this case, the result is that the dynamics of oppression intensify even more, because now the person described is not only restricted by being a woman in a sexist society, but also by having a dark complexion in a racist society. Thus, when considering the intersectionality of a woman of colour it is necessary to consider the combination of gender discrimination with further racial discrimination, both of which are part of a woman of colour’s identity.

The Notion of Intersectionality

The notion of intersectionality was coined by jurist and activist Kimberly Crenshaw In her article ‘Demarginalising the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics’ she breaks down three important legal cases to demonstrate how the US justice system fails to recognise the intersectionality of gender and race. In particular, her discourse focuses on the multi-dimensionality of black women, whom she calls ‘multi-burdened’, as they suffer double discrimination: being female and being African American. 

Crenshaw, in addition to criticising the judicial and political system, criticises feminist theories and the civil rights movement more broadly for their lack of an intersectional approach. In her critique, in fact, she points out that feminist movements are mostly focused on the struggles of white women and therefore do not capture the experiences of black women, reducing the possibility for the latter to be properly heard within the movement. 

‘Acknowledgement that Black women encounter combined race and sex discrimination implies that the boundaries of sex and race discrimination doctrine are defined respectively by white women’s and Black men’s experiences. Under this view, Black women are protected only to the extent that their experiences coincide with those of either of the two groups. […] Where their experiences are distinct, Black women can expect little protection’.

But what does intersectionality have to do with environmental racism and climate change?

Through an intersectional lens, it is possible to bring to light the relationships and power relations that link racism, environment and climate. The term environmental racism is used to describe how damage to the environment resulting from pollution or exploitation of natural resources is not unrelated to forms of racism and social injustice.  An example is Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the damage and devastation of which was felt more keenly by African-American minorities in New Orleans, as they were poorer and more vulnerable and had less capacity for adaptation and resilience. 

Environmental racism

First used in the 1980s by the American civil rights activist Benjamin Chavis, the concept of environmental racism is used to describe those situations in which marginalised and discriminated social groups, mainly consisting of ethnic and black minorities, are forced to live in so-called ‘sacrifice zones’. These urban areas, usually located on the fringes of cities where the cost of living is lower, are literally sacrificed to make room for landfills, waste disposal plants, industries and other highly polluting activities. As a result, the inhabitants of these urban areas end up suffering severe health damage and unhealthy and unhealthy living conditions. This is a form of systemic racism as the privileged, white counterpart is unlikely to be exposed to such conditions due to a greater possibility of mobility given their income and the colour of their skin. The concept, initially applied to communities of colour in the United States, soon spread to become a cornerstone of environmental and climate justice. Today, environmental justice movements strive to raise the awareness of society and policymakers on these issues and ensure that every individual has the right to a healthy and wholesome environment and is treated with respect regardless of ethnicity, skin colour, or gender. 

Similarly, the consequences of rising temperatures and extreme weather events weigh heaviest on the most disadvantaged social groups, particularly women. In the context of climate change, women are certainly among the first to suffer its negative effects, worsening their current conditions and generating new inequalities and discrimination. According to UN data, ‘women are 14 times more likely to die than men, due to their limited access to information, mobility, decision-making and resources’. From an intersectional perspective, this highlights the different scales of oppression that make women – and women of colour first and foremost – more vulnerable to climate damage. An alarming finding that confirms how women today continue to be at a severe disadvantage caused by overlapping gender and racial discrimination. 

Feminism must be intersectional! 

In the reference texts of this article, Davis and Crenshaw repeatedly emphasize the lack of an intersectional approach in feminist and social justice movements. Indeed, throughout civil rights history, American feminism has shown little concern for the plight of women of colour, confirming how racism creeps into even the most noble of movements. 

For example, Angela Davis in her book points out how women of colour throughout history have been victims of various forms of discrimination due to sexism, machismo, racism and even white supremacism. And therein lies Davis’ intersectional logic, which points out how gender, race and class in combination contribute to the oppression of Black women, even within those movements that are supposed to protect them. 

‘Every inequality and right denied to American women is a thousand times worse for Black women, who are exploited three times over: as Blacks, as workers, and as women.’

Accordingly, Davis and Crenshaw’s proposed critiques are based on the need to incorporate an intersectional lens into the feminist struggle against all types of discrimination in order to remedy all overlapping forms of oppression contextually.

In conclusion, to address the climate crisis more consciously, it is necessary to approach these issues intersectionally. We need to focus on the role of women, and in particular that of women of colour, who suffer multiple forms of discrimination on the grounds of gender and race. Through such a lens, it emerges that environmental and climate injustices are not isolated phenomena, but are closely connected to existing power structures that perpetuate racism and sexism. Feminist movements must first distance themselves from the dynamics that exclude the experiences of women of colour and focus instead on ‘people’s opportunities and life situations, which should be addressed regardless of the origins of their difficulties.’ Through intersectionality and a holistic approach, just and inclusive climate policies must be able to encompass all forms of discrimination and oppression in order to achieve climate justice. There is a need to give voice and space to those racialised women and to empathize with their experiences and at the same time learn from them because such experiences have also made women protectors of the environment, pillars of resilience and agents of change. Progress towards this direction can be seen and is taking shape in the international climate negotiations in the UNFCCC, but the road ahead is still full of obstacles. Only by recognizing and addressing the connections between gender, race, class and other forms of identity can we, in the context of the fight against climate change, build a more just and equitable society for all.

Article by Alice Rotiroti, ICN Rights and Climate Section Volunteer

This article is part of Il Caleidoscopio (The Kaleidoscope), the in-depth column that aims to clarify the theories and reflections developed by the feminist movement, setting them in the context of climate issues to better understand the demands and concepts of climate action and climate justice.

Just as the kaleidoscope returns ever-changing multifaceted images, our feminist reflections aim to return a multiversal image of the world and provide useful tools to make it more equitable, inclusive, just and sustainable.

Edited and Coordinated by Erika Moranduzzo, Coordinator of the Rights and Climate Section, Italian Climate Network.

Sources:

• Angela Davis, ‘Women, Race and Class’, 1981.
• Kimberly Crenshaw – Demarginalising the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics