Twenty-third International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

This study analyzes the Israeli movement Women Wage Peace as a case study for examining intersectional practices in women’s movements. It investigates the strategies and challenges the movement has faced in its pursuit of reaching a diverse membership, a goal considered unique in the Israeli peace discourse. This research contributes to the understanding of intersectional theory and practice, beyond pre-set analytical categories and empty buzzwords, offering explanations as to why intersectionality in women’s movements doesn’t (always) work despite good intentions. The ethnographic research based on semi-structured interviews with previous and current movement members reveals that looking through the women’s perspectives of peripherality and privilege highlights the movement’s intersectional power structures determining the processes where intersectional analysis doesn’t translate into intersectional political practices. These findings answer current calls in feminist and social movement research for more nuanced intersectional analyses by providing examples of the challenges of intersectional practices in women’s organizing.