Center for Intersectional Justice (CIJ)

The Center for Intersectional Justice (CIJ) is a non-profit organization based in Berlin, Germany, focused on promoting social justice through an intersectional lens. Founded in 2017 by Emilia Roig, CIJ sought to address and dismantle structural inequalities by recognizing how various forms of discrimination—such as racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and classism—interact and overlap. 

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Key Objectives:

1. Advocacy and Policy Reform: CIJ works to influence public policies at national and EU levels to ensure that they incorporate intersectionality, promoting more equitable laws that address multiple forms of discrimination simultaneously.

2. Awareness and Education: The organization is dedicated to raising awareness about intersectionality as a crucial framework for understanding and combating systemic inequalities. CIJ provides workshops, trainings, and consultations for organizations, public institutions, and activists.

3. Research and Analysis: CIJ conducts research to analyze how laws, policies, and societal structures affect marginalized communities. This research is aimed at providing evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and advocates.

4. Empowerment of Marginalized Communities: A central focus of CIJ is to empower groups that face compounded forms of discrimination, ensuring that their voices are heard in the decision-making processes.

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Vision and Mission:

The vision of CIJ is a society where structural inequalities are eliminated, and all individuals can enjoy equal rights and opportunities, regardless of their identities or backgrounds. CIJ's mission was to center the needs and experiences of marginalized communities in social justice work and to foster solidarity across different social movements. By promoting intersectionality in both activism and policy, CIJ aimed to create a more inclusive and just society that accounts for the diverse ways in which oppression operates.

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World renowned Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term "intersectionality" in 1989, was President of the Center for Intersectional Justice. The board was composed of leading voice for social justice in France, award-winning journalist and writer Rokhaya Diallo and Belgian sociologist Fatima Zibouh. 

 

Emilia Roig closed the Center for Intersectional Justice in 2024 to focus on broader, long-term efforts to challenge and dismantle systemic oppression. After leading the organization for seven years, she felt the need to shift her focus towards a new, more organic approach to explore deep-rooted societal changes and spiritual approaches to justice, particularly around challenging capitalism and rethinking economic systems​. She felt that continuing the institutional framework of CIJ no longer fit with her evolving vision for how to address systemic oppression on a deeper level​.

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