Intersectionality, aging, and invisibility: a global review of black women’s experiences in academic research

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global academic production on intersectionality, race, and gender, with a specific focus on the social exclusion and systemic discrimination faced by Black women. Using data from Scopus and Web of Science, 324 publications from 2011 to 2025 were analyzed, covering diverse disciplines such as sociology, gender studies, public health, and psychology. The analysis identified leading authors, institutions, journals, collaboration networks, and thematic trends, revealing the dominance of Western countries—particularly the United States—in shaping the field. Key thematic clusters included sexism, discrimination, environmental racism, and health disparities, alongside an increasing engagement with intersectionality as a critical analytical framework. Despite the observed growth, the results expose persistent epistemic asymmetries, with limited representation of scholars from the Global South, including regions with significant Black populations. This underrepresentation reflects broader structures of epistemological risk and the coloniality of knowledge, calling for inclusive research policies and collaborative practices that center marginalized voices. The study contributes not only to academic mapping but also offers policy-oriented recommendations to promote equity in knowledge production, including targeted funding for intersectional research and integration of intersectionality into evaluation metrics. By employing R and the Bibliometrix package, this research positions bibliometric tools as both analytical and advocacy instruments, showing the need for more diverse, decolonial, and interdisciplinary approaches to intersectionality in global scholarship.