Abstract
Despite significant progress in diversity and inclusion within the workspace through transformative legislation – such as the Employment Equity Act No.55 of 1998 (EEA) and the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act No. 53 of 2003 (B-BBEE) – Black professional women in South Africa continue to face complex challenges. These challenges often manifest through subtle yet harmful microaggressions. Research on experienced microaggressions frequently focuses on a singular lens of identity, such as race or gender, overlooking the reality of intersecting identities. Through a qualitative exploratory design, the current study addresses this research gap by investigating the experiences of Black professional women encountering Intersectional Microaggressions (IMs) alongside their identity of having ubizo and their other salient identities of being Black and female and how these encounters influence their well-being. The theoretical framework underpinning this study is encapsulated through Africa(n)-centred Psychology (ACP). Using a combination of purposive and snowball sampling, data was collected through six semi-structured, in-depth interviews with Black professional women with ubizo. Using Braun and Clarke’s Thematic Analysis, these interviews were analysed to derive four main themes that encapsulated the experiences of IMs on Black professional women with ubizo: (1) The Cost of Ubizo and Intersectional Bias; (2) Identity Dynamics within Ubizo; (3) Navigating Ubizo Within Workplace Policies ;(4) Support Systems and Coping Mechanisms. These themes revealed that participants struggled to identify microaggressions due to their intersecting identities, often normalising them instead; furthermore, having ubizo was seen to amplify the impact of microaggressions, disrupting their sense of self and belonging. Additionally, participants exposed policy inadequacies, fostering fear in addressing and reporting experienced microaggressions, thus further perpetuating the cycle of experienced microaggressions. These
IV
Experiences and Impact of IMs on Black Professional Women with Ubizo
findings align with existing literature, demonstrating the impact of microaggressions and discrimination, particularly when intersecting identities converge.
Keywords: Intersectional Microaggressions; Black professional women; ubizo; workplace discrimination; Intersectionality; Africa(n)-centred Psychology.