<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Resumen </strong></span>| La interseccionalidad constituye una de las mayores contribuciones conceptuales del feminismo en los últimos veinticinco años. La luz que arroja en el estudio de los complejos mecanismos de discriminación ha permitido identificar la diversidad de las interacciones generadas por la subordinación de muy diferente tipo: por razones de género, orientación sexual, etnia, religión, origen nacional, (dis)capacidad, nivel socioeconómico y otras. En este trabajo intento bosquejar el desarrollo de este concepto, desde sus primeros tiempos en los estudios jurídicos hasta su expansión desigual y asimétrica en las ciencias sociales y en las diferentes áreas geográficas. Dicha heterogeneidad obstaculiza, en algunas regiones, el empleo de esta herramienta conceptual en la práctica, y subraya la necesidad de indagar en las diferencias y matices —que suelen originarse en las interacciones con culturas, prácticas e instituciones existentes— con el objeto de mejorar los niveles de praxis y estrategias locales.</p>

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Intersectionality originated as a tool for critical legal analysis. It focused on the multiplicity of interactions among the grounds of social exclusion, such as gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, national origin, (dis)ability and socioeconomic status among others, shedding light on the complexity of the mechanisms of power and privilege in social relations. In the last twenty-five years, intersectionality gained increasing popularity in the Anglophone academia, but had uneven diffusion in the different socio-political contexts. This article addresses its conceptual origins, providing a genealogy that connects intersectionality with counterhegemonic feminist theories. Intersectionality is then examined in connection with Critical Legal Studies within the American socio-legal context of the 70s where it has originally been developed as a category of legal analysis. It is argued that transposing a concept from another legal system into the European legal framework poses a number of challenges. This article offers an overview of recent developments of European Union law as an example of the advancements and challenges that the implementation of intersectionality in European democracy might suppose. It finally discusses the utility of intersectionality for legal scholarship in the context of democratic societies that aim at removing the formal and substantive obstacles towards the equality of their members.

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Although feminist scholarship has discussed intersectionality extensively, few studies have addressed its implementation in public policies. This article fills that gap with an empirical study of the obstacles and enabling factors in implementing intersectionality in the Madrid City Council. We focus on the multiple meanings, actors, and structures involved in translating policy planning into concrete measures. Through a content analysis of policy documents, interviews, focus groups, and participant observation, our qualitative study identifies five key factors that hinder the implementation of intersectionality-informed policies: the absence of a legal framework and precise guidelines; the multiple and contrasting interpretations of intersectionality; the lack of training; the compartmentalized work structure and culture; and the unavailability and misuse of data. These findings contribute to the scholarship on the implementation of intersectionality in public policies and provide empirical-based recommendations to overcome the identified obstacles.