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One of the main critiques of past waves of feminism has been the centrality and privileging of the voices of middle class white women in the movement. The concept of intersectionality originates in black feminism throughout the 20th century and the specific term’s coinage is attributed to Kimberle Williams Crenshaw in 1991. Intersectionality in a broad sense is defined as “the interactivity of social identity structures such as race, class, and gender in fostering life experiences, especially experiences of privilege and oppression”. It addresses the complexities of how different systems of oppression interact and overlap and has expanded to become a topic in fields of study outside of gender studies and feminism as well, and its main goal as a tool within the feminist movement is to give a voice and power to those who have been pushed to the margins, namely women of color and queer people.

While it has been used widely in conjunction with feminism since the 1990s, the fourth wave of feminism gives the concept a new level of prominence in the movement as the voices of those with marginalized identities are more easily heard with the use of social media. Intersectionality is most closely associated with black feminism in the eyes of both the general public and the world of academia, as a community operating under the oppressive systems of both racism and sexism and as the term intersectionality first gained traction through the work of black feminists. Some would say that “black feminists are read as the embodiment of intersectionality”. While the use of intersectionality as a lens through which to view feminist discourse and practice has helped the movement make leaps of progress in regards to bringing forward the voices and needs of oppressed identities, the close association with black women and feminists has given rise to critiques on both sides of the debate.

In terms of defending black women’s experiences of intersectionality, one phrase that has been used is “I live it”, in reference to the fact that critics are often attempting to disprove life experiences of black women that they have not themselves experienced or have grounds to falsify. Additional critiques against intersectionality from the viewpoint of white, middle-class leaders of feminism include the supposed use of the term to attack these leaders and the essentializing of gender oppression alone as opposed to all systems of oppression. For example, on a 2013 episode of ‘Women’s Hour’ about fourth wave feminism, a Radio 4 program in the UK, a white feminist leader named Caroline Criado-Perez said “a big part of the problem is the way certain women use intersectionality as a cloak to abuse prominent white feminists”. This was said in response to a critique of racism within modern feminism made by Reni Eddo-Lodge, a black feminist. On the other side, while intersectionality gives voices to marginalized communities it also often puts the labor of explaining and educating others about the term on those living under oppression, especially black women.

Although a large percentage of activists operating under fourth wave feminism define themselves as intersectional feminists, intersectionality lives mostly in the realm of academia at his point in time.

British professor of marketing and consumer research Pauline Maclaran argues that although celebrities are at the forefront of fourth-wave feminism, ready access to information has enabled the movement to draw greater attention to economic inequalities faced by women than heretofore possible.

Regarded as more inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ community, fourth-wave feminists such as Jacob Bucher of Baker University have protested stereotypes surrounding men's supposed uncontrolled sexual desire and objectification of women. He states that gay men specifically are stigmatized by such stereotypes because they lie outside of the typical standard for masculinity.

Canadian art historian Ruth Phillips argues that fourth-wave feminism falls within the broader agenda of financial, political, and environmental concerns and is recognized as a key factor in alleviating poverty, improving women's health, and achieving economic growth.

In Latin American fourth-wave feminism, a similar concept to intersectionality is that of transversality. It describes "a form of feminism that addresses a wide range of issues in an effort to represent the heterogeneity of society". Examples include addressing colonialism or racism, economic topics, and LGBTQ issues.