February 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the observance of Black History Month in Canada. The observance was officially designated in autumn 1995, in response to pressure from many advocates, including then-president of the Ontario Black History Society Rosemary Sadlier, and Jean Augustine, the first Black female member of Canadian parliament. Fittingly, the theme for the year is Black Legacy and Leadership: Celebrating Canadian History and Uplifting Future Generations. This month is an excellent opportunity for us to reflect on the achievements of Black Canadians and the Black community, and the progress made toward building a more just, equitable society. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on the work that remains to be done – and the progress that we risk losing in our current moment.  

In her 1989 essay, Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics, American civil rights advocate and law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw commented on the tendency for issues of race and gender to be seen as separate. Responding to this, Crenshaw coined the term “intersectionality” to describe compounding discrimination at the nexus of racism and sexism, and how it would be necessary to recognize the combined impact of different social identities to advance the cause of feminism. Crenshaw described this recognition as intersectional feminism, which provided a framework to explore how holding multiple marginalized identities can impact a person’s status in predominantly white, Eurocentric, heteronormative society. Other theorists, including the late bell hooks, published works exploring similar issues.  

As a research institute focused on improving the health of women and gender-diverse people, we have an obligation to consider the intersections of identity experienced by the people we engage in research, and the people who are ultimately impacted by policy changes brought about by this research. Undoubtedly, women as a collective still face discrimination within patriarchal systems of academia and healthcare. It is also true that some people’s experience of discrimination is compounded by the intersections of gender, race, sex, sexuality and any number of other immutable characteristics that comprise their identity. It is undeniable that Black and Indigenous women are more likely to encounter discrimination in Canadian society than white women. It is undeniable that trans women and AFAB gender-diverse people face different discrimination than cisgender women.  

According to Crenshaw, “[b]ecause the intersectional experience is greater than the sum of racism and sexism, any analysis that does not take intersectionality into account cannot sufficiently address the particular manner in which Black women are subordinated.” (Crenshaw, 1989, P. 140) 

Intersectionality is not about checking boxes or slotting people into quantified categories of oppression. Rather it’s about recognizing the systems that privilege certain groups over others, and the myriad ways in which an individual’s identities can build or destroy individual power within those systems. 

An intersectional approach to research makes for better science. Considering the intersections of race, sex, gender, and other facets of identity while designing a study, conducting research, and analyzing data allows us as scientists to better understand how these factors influence a person’s health. Accounting for these factors in research allows us to more clearly understand how environmental and social factors contribute to aspects of wellbeing, which ultimately benefits the entire population. 

If you are new to Intersectionality, watch our 2024 lunch & learn, Intersectionality and It’s Role in Equity Diversity and Inclusion ( EDI), hosted by Oakley Ramprashad (they/them) | Manager, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute.