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Can sex-, class-, and race-based discrimination be neutralized by participatory and deliberative democracy? According to feminist criticism of deliberative theories of democracy, the recognition of social groups and of situated knowledge should facilitate a better inclusion of minorities. But for other authors, such a proposal contradicts the logics of deliberation. This article aims to study the impact and the limits of deliberations on intersectional discrimination. It is based on an analysis of women’s conferences in Recife (Brazil). It shows that, although the most recognized forms of social discrimination are those previously politicized within feminist circles, the participatory device is also a place where legitimate conceptions of the women’s cause are negotiated.