No two people experience life in exactly the same way.
This may seem obvious, yet support services, educational programmes and public policies are often designed as if entire groups of people shared the same needs and experiences.
The concept of intersectionality challenges this assumption.
Intersectionality recognises that different aspects of a person’s identity – such as gender, age, migration background, education level, economic situation, family responsibilities or health status – interact and influence how they experience opportunities and barriers.
For migrant women, these factors often overlap.
Two women may come from the same country and speak the same language, but their experiences can differ greatly depending on their age, educational background, family situation, work experience or social networks.
Understanding these differences is essential for creating effective support measures.
An approach that works well for one woman may not work for another. Some may require support with language learning. Others may need help navigating administrative systems, building professional networks or overcoming confidence barriers. Still others may face challenges linked to childcare responsibilities, social isolation or limited digital skills.
Recognising these differences does not mean treating everyone differently. Rather, it means acknowledging that people arrive with different starting points and that inclusion requires flexibility and understanding.
This is one of the reasons why LiLI includes the development of an Intersectionality Info-Training Toolkit for educators, trainers, social workers and policymakers.
The toolkit will help professionals better understand the diverse realities of migrant women and provide practical guidance for designing more inclusive educational pathways and support services.
Ultimately, intersectionality encourages us to move beyond labels and stereotypes.
It invites us to see the whole person.
And when we understand people’s experiences more fully, we are better equipped to support their participation, autonomy and success.
