Intersectional analysis considers the social location of women. It critically examines
the various influences of oppression and privilege (self and other), acknowledging
that identity categories are unstable, dependent, relational, and inseparable
(Shields, 2008). It also takes into consideration that social processes involved in the
construction of identity vary according to time and place (Weber & Parra-Medina,
2003). By taking a closer look at the everyday life and social practices of women,
intersectional analysis directs us to explore the construction of identities as well as
the structures, standards, and customs these identities draw on. Important questions
to be addressed in relation to women’s health are as follows: Which identity
categories do women relate to? Which customs, value, and belief systems affect
them? How do women formulate and navigate different social identities in ways
that maintain (or not) their heath? Which contexts support their health and identities,
and which intersections place them at a disadvantage? Are there additional
factors that have multiplicative negative effects on the health and well-being of
women, and so forth (Hulko, 2009).
At its most basic level, intersectional analysis draws attention to the interactions
between identity categories and how these categories influence the way women
define themselves and are defined by others (Oleksy, 2011). At its most complex leve