Key Terms
Women of color
Women of color is a term used to describe women of racial, ethnic and religious minority backgrounds; women who are not white; or women who experience racism. The term ‘woman’ is used here to include all those self-identifying as women and is deliberately inclusive of members of the non-binary and transgender communities.[1]Intersectionality
Intersectionality is a concept with roots in Black feminism that considers the interconnected nature of a number of systems of oppression, such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism. The theory highlights that social identities, such as race, gender, sexuality, class, marital status and age, overlap and intersect in dynamic ways that shape each individual.[2]Stereotype threat
Stereotype threat is defined as a “socially premised psychological threat that arises when one is in a situation or doing something for which a negative stereotype about one’s group applies.”[3] For example, when female students are given a math exam and told that the exam is diagnostic of their own intellectual abilities, negative stereotypes of women as less capable mathematicians can actually negatively impact their performance on the exam.Equity
Equity is both an outcome and a process. As an outcome, we achieve equity when race, gender, or other aspects of identity no longer determine one’s socioeconomic outcomes; when everyone has what they need to thrive, no matter where they live or work. As a process, we apply equity when those most impacted by structural racial inequity are meaningfully involved in the creation and implementation of the institutional policies and practices that impact their lives. [from Race Forward]
Inclusion
The measure of the quality of representation, such as full access, authentic representation, empowered participation, true belonging and power-sharing. Inclusion is a qualitative measure of representation and participation. [from Race Forward]