Abstract Book of the 3rd Global Conference on Gender Studies
Year: 2025
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Do Intersecting Identities Hinder or Facilitate Inclusion?
Charlie Porter-Baker
ABSTRACT:
A fundamental element of youth work is open access, where all young people if they so choose can attend a youth work session and be involved (IDYW, 2009). This study aims to challenge this concept in relation to young British Muslim women and their inclusion. Whereby, young British Muslim women’s intersectional identities are not fully considered within youth work and ultimately creates barriers to access. The intersectional identities that are considered are gender, age and religion, with social and spiritual capital being explored in relation to the intersectional identities. The aim of the study is to highlight the experiences young British Muslim women’s inclusion within youth work, considering their intersectional identities and the implications on inclusive practice. This paper showcases some of the experiences of Muslim women and the challenges being a young person, within work and within higher education. Showing that being the ‘other’ is a prominent feeling and experience in all of these settings giving little to no sense of belonging. It argues that these experiences of young British Muslim women need to be considered and in turn cause social change from a grass roots level in further participation and inclusion of Muslim women in youth work.
Keywords: belonging, gender, identity, inclusive, youth-work