From Theory to Practice: The Deployment of Intersectionality in International Human Rights Policy

International and national human rights legal and policy frameworks have traditionally relied on addressing discrimination through a single-axis angle, identifying and addressing single grounds in cases of discrimination. By focusing predominantly on individual dimensions of discrimination, they often neglected to acknowledge the systemic and historical dimensions of discrimination which continue to shape contemporary social inequalities and hierarchies. A concept of intersectional discrimination, although now widely accepted, has not yet been consistently reflected in the legal and policy documents of international human rights organizations. This article examines the extent to which the monitoring mechanisms of international human rights instruments take an intersectional approach to improve policy outcomes and tackle the structural roots of inequality that pervade societies around the world and prevent the achievement of substantive equality for all.