Feminism is interested in how power relations and social structures affect people’s wellbeing and it pays special attention to how these effects are unevenly experienced. A feminist viewpoint of health contends that social determinants (such as access to quality and affordable healthcare or the availability of nutritious foods) play an important role when it comes to health.
Intersectional feminism, in particular, looks to where various identities meet as relates to health equity and justice. Intersectional feminism understands how health disparities impact specific communities in unique ways and arrives at this knowledge by listening to the voices and dialogues of those who are impacted. Aligning with various feminist scholars and theorists like Angela Davis, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Sarah Haley, we take a community-centered, anti-oppression approach at tackling structural issues about health from the ground up.
Intersectional Feminist Health Justice asks that we address how many overlapping factors contribute to people’s overall health. Environmental hazards and economic hardships have a very direct relationship with health and are just a couple of examples showing how social inequities contribute to health disparities in marginalized populations.