Discriminations are attitudes and actions that devalue a person or group and that result in limitations, exclusions or restrictions for cultural, legal, personal or natural reasons that are not accepted. Unfortunately, we are part of a society full of prejudices, meaning when we prejudge a situation towards something or someone because of ignorance or because of what we have learned in life without any necessary reason for this to be so, and discrimination, where physical, cultural and aesthetic differences limit the possibilities of individuals to participate and demonstrate their potential in all aspects of life.
By Andrea Zondek
Discrimination factors include racism that challenges ethnic differences, economic inequalities, gender bias, sexual orientation or preference, disability and many other discrimination factors that lead to isolation, ridicule, rejection and exclusion. The factors of discrimination do not act independently of each other, but intersect with each other, leading to new systems of oppression.
Already in the 1970s, interrelated categories of discrimination began to be identified, the victims of which were women of colour at the mercy of cruel repression and sexual aggression, making them visible as rare and inferior objects. Intersectionality theory was born out of feminist movements composed of women of African descent who raised their voices to point out the inferior and unequal treatment caused by interrelated factors such as gender, race and class. One of the most heard cases is that of Sara Baartman, a native of the Khoikhoi ethnic group and coloured slave who was taken to Europe at the beginning of the 19th century and shown as the main attraction of the circus, was the victim of sexual abuse, mockery and degrading treatment, so much so that after 5 years of enduring such exploitation she died at the age of 25 and her skeleton, brain and genitals were exhibited in the Musée de l’Homme in Paris for over 160 years until 1974, but her remains were repatriated to her homeland in the Eastern Cape (South Africa) on 9 August 2002.
Discrimination that has also been very aggressive in many countries is that generated by disability. The term disability has been highly contested as it tends to be seen as subtraction of skills. Furthermore, disability has been poorly understood by society and ignorance, exclusion and segregation have created social barriers that have brought with them many prejudices. However, it is possible to have an approach that seeks to promote a model of autonomy, where capacities, potentialities and competencies are highlighted over physical, intellectual or sensory limitations, being this model the basis to be able to carry out successful labour intermediation processes.
What happens when a person with a disability is faced with different factors of discrimination? This is where the intersectionality model comes in, as the approach that analyses the interrelationship between the various discriminatory factors that can affect the same person in addition to their disability, racial, social, ethnic, age and economic conditions, and that it is important to stop dealing with them in isolation and place greater emphasis on them, as this can increase the situation of vulnerability in which the person could find themselves.
It is necessary to analyse public policy to see what other types of discrimination factors exist in the intersection with disability that can improve, for example, the working conditions of workers. Today, reference is only made to people with disabilities with low levels of education, as a possible double affectation in the labour field. We must take into consideration that many people with disabilities do not have access to rehabilitation and education, so it is unlikely that the person will discover and develop his or her abilities in a timely manner. Understanding intersectionality allows us to analyse the complexity of the prejudices we have and it will be easier to overcome our assumptions and stereotypes.
*President of Fundación TACAL
