Essay on Feminism

500 words essay on feminism.

Feminism is a social and political movement that advocates for the rights of women on the grounds of equality of sexes. It does not deny the biological differences between the sexes but demands equality in opportunities. It covers everything from social and political to economic arenas. In fact, feminist campaigns have been a crucial part of history in women empowerment. The feminist campaigns of the twentieth century made the right to vote, public property, work and education possible. Thus, an essay on feminism will discuss its importance and impact.

essay on feminism

Importance of Feminism

Feminism is not just important for women but for every sex, gender, caste, creed and more. It empowers the people and society as a whole. A very common misconception is that only women can be feminists.

It is absolutely wrong but feminism does not just benefit women. It strives for equality of the sexes, not the superiority of women. Feminism takes the gender roles which have been around for many years and tries to deconstruct them.

This allows people to live freely and empower lives without getting tied down by traditional restrictions. In other words, it benefits women as well as men. For instance, while it advocates that women must be free to earn it also advocates that why should men be the sole breadwinner of the family? It tries to give freedom to all.

Most importantly, it is essential for young people to get involved in the feminist movement. This way, we can achieve faster results. It is no less than a dream to live in a world full of equality.

Thus, we must all look at our own cultures and communities for making this dream a reality. We have not yet reached the result but we are on the journey, so we must continue on this mission to achieve successful results.

Impact of Feminism

Feminism has had a life-changing impact on everyone, especially women. If we look at history, we see that it is what gave women the right to vote. It was no small feat but was achieved successfully by women.

Further, if we look at modern feminism, we see how feminism involves in life-altering campaigns. For instance, campaigns that support the abortion of unwanted pregnancy and reproductive rights allow women to have freedom of choice.

Moreover, feminism constantly questions patriarchy and strives to renounce gender roles. It allows men to be whoever they wish to be without getting judged. It is not taboo for men to cry anymore because they must be allowed to express themselves freely.

Similarly, it also helps the LGBTQ community greatly as it advocates for their right too. Feminism gives a place for everyone and it is best to practice intersectional feminism to understand everyone’s struggle.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of the Essay on Feminism

The key message of feminism must be to highlight the choice in bringing personal meaning to feminism. It is to recognize other’s right for doing the same thing. The sad part is that despite feminism being a strong movement, there are still parts of the world where inequality and exploitation of women take places. Thus, we must all try to practice intersectional feminism.

FAQ of Essay on Feminism

Question 1: What are feminist beliefs?

Answer 1: Feminist beliefs are the desire for equality between the sexes. It is the belief that men and women must have equal rights and opportunities. Thus, it covers everything from social and political to economic equality.

Question 2: What started feminism?

Answer 2: The first wave of feminism occurred in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It emerged out of an environment of urban industrialism and liberal, socialist politics. This wave aimed to open up new doors for women with a focus on suffrage.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

tutor

  • Travelling Essay
  • Picnic Essay
  • Our Country Essay
  • My Parents Essay
  • Essay on Favourite Personality
  • Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
  • Essay on Knowledge is Power
  • Essay on Gurpurab
  • Essay on My Favourite Season
  • Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

Google Play

Human Rights Careers

5 Essays About Feminism

On the surface, the definition of feminism is simple. It’s the belief that women should be politically, socially, and economically equal to men. Over the years, the movement expanded from a focus on voting rights to worker rights, reproductive rights, gender roles, and beyond. Modern feminism is moving to a more inclusive and intersectional place. Here are five essays about feminism that tackle topics like trans activism, progress, and privilege:

“Trickle-Down Feminism” – Sarah Jaffe

Feminists celebrate successful women who have seemingly smashed through the glass ceiling, but the reality is that most women are still under it. Even in fast-growing fields where women dominate (retail sales, food service, etc), women make less money than men. In this essay from Dissent Magazine, author Sarah Jaffe argues that when the fastest-growing fields are low-wage, it isn’t a victory for women. At the same time, it does present an opportunity to change the way we value service work. It isn’t enough to focus only on “equal pay for equal work” as that argument mostly focuses on jobs where someone can negotiate their salary. This essay explores how feminism can’t succeed if only the concerns of the wealthiest, most privileged women are prioritized.

Sarah Jaffe writes about organizing, social movements, and the economy with publications like Dissent, the Nation, Jacobin, and others. She is the former labor editor at Alternet.

“What No One Else Will Tell You About Feminism” – Lindy West

Written in Lindy West’s distinct voice, this essay provides a clear, condensed history of feminism’s different “waves.” The first wave focused on the right to vote, which established women as equal citizens. In the second wave, after WWII, women began taking on issues that couldn’t be legally-challenged, like gender roles. As the third wave began, the scope of feminism began to encompass others besides middle-class white women. Women should be allowed to define their womanhood for themselves. West also points out that “waves” may not even exist since history is a continuum. She concludes the essay by declaring if you believe all people are equal, you are a feminist.

Jezebel reprinted this essay with permission from How To Be A Person, The Stranger’s Guide to College by Lindy West, Dan Savage, Christopher Frizelle, and Bethany Jean Clement. Lindy West is an activist, comedian, and writer who focuses on topics like feminism, pop culture, and fat acceptance.

“Toward a Trans* Feminism” – Jack Halberstam

The history of transactivsm and feminism is messy. This essay begins with the author’s personal experience with gender and terms like trans*, which Halberstam prefers. The asterisk serves to “open the meaning,” allowing people to choose their categorization as they see fit. The main body of the essay focuses on the less-known history of feminists and trans* folks. He references essays from the 1970s and other literature that help paint a more complete picture. In current times, the tension between radical feminism and trans* feminism remains, but changes that are good for trans* women are good for everyone.

This essay was adapted from Trans*: A Quick and Quirky Account of Gender Variability by Jack Halberstam. Halberstam is the Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity, Gender Studies and Comparative Literature at the University of Southern California. He is also the author of several books.

“Rebecca Solnit: How Change Happens” – Rebecca Solnit

The world is changing. Rebecca Solnit describes this transformation as an assembly of ideas, visions, values, essays, books, protests, and more. It has many layers involving race, class, gender, power, climate, justice, etc, as well as many voices. This has led to more clarity about injustice. Solnit describes watching the transformation and how progress and “ wokeness ” are part of a historical process. Progress is hard work. Not exclusively about feminism, this essay takes a more intersectional look at how progress as a whole occurs.

“How Change Happens” was adapted from the introduction to Whose Story Is it? Rebecca Solnit is a writer, activist, and historian. She’s the author of over 20 books on art, politics, feminism, and more.

“Bad Feminist” extract – Roxane Gay

People are complicated and imperfect. In this excerpt from her book Bad Feminist: Essays , Roxane Gay explores her contradictions. The opening sentence is, “I am failing as a woman.” She goes on to describe how she wants to be independent, but also to be taken care of. She wants to be strong and in charge, but she also wants to surrender sometimes. For a long time, she denied that she was human and flawed. However, the work it took to deny her humanness is harder than accepting who she is. While Gay might be a “bad feminist,” she is also deeply committed to issues that are important to feminism. This is a must-read essay for any feminists who worry that they aren’t perfect.

Roxane Gay is a professor, speaker, editor, writer, and social commentator. She is the author of Bad Feminist , a New York Times bestseller, Hunger (a memoir), and works of fiction.

You may also like

feminism discussion essay

14 Trusted Charities Helping Civilians in Palestine

feminism discussion essay

The Great Migration: History, Causes and Facts

feminism discussion essay

Social Change 101: Meaning, Examples, Learning Opportunities

feminism discussion essay

Rosa Parks: Biography, Quotes, Impact

feminism discussion essay

Top 20 Issues Women Are Facing Today

feminism discussion essay

Top 20 Issues Children Are Facing Today

feminism discussion essay

15 Root Causes of Climate Change

feminism discussion essay

15 Facts about Rosa Parks

feminism discussion essay

Abolitionist Movement: History, Main Ideas, and Activism Today

feminism discussion essay

The Biggest 15 NGOs in the UK

feminism discussion essay

15 Biggest NGOs in Canada

feminism discussion essay

The 15 Biggest NGOs in Australia

About the author, emmaline soken-huberty.

Emmaline Soken-Huberty is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon. She started to become interested in human rights while attending college, eventually getting a concentration in human rights and humanitarianism. LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and climate change are of special concern to her. In her spare time, she can be found reading or enjoying Oregon’s natural beauty with her husband and dog.

277 Feminism Topics & Women’s Rights Essay Topics

18 January 2024

last updated

Feminism topics encompass a comprehensive range of themes centered on advocating for gender equality. These themes critically address the social, political, and economic injustices primarily faced by females, aiming to dismantle patriarchal norms. Feminism topics may span from intersectional feminism, which underscores the diverse experiences of women across various intersections of race, class, and sexuality, to reproductive rights that advocate for women’s bodily autonomy and healthcare accessibility. They also involve the examination of workplace discrimination through concepts, such as the gender wage gap and the glass ceiling. Violence against women, including work and domestic abuse, sexual assault, and harassment, is a hot aspect, providing many discussions. In turn, one may explore the representation of women in media, politics, and STEM fields. Explorations of gender roles, gender identity, and the significance of male feminism are integral parts of these discussions. As society continues to evolve, feminism topics persistently adapt to confront and address emerging forms of gender inequality.

Best Feminism & Women’s Rights Topics

  • Achievements of Women in Politics: A Global Perspective
  • Emphasizing Gender Equality in the 21st-Century Workplace
  • Evolving Representation of Women in Media
  • Fight for Women’s Voting Rights: The Historical Analysis
  • Intersectionality: Examining its Role in Feminism
  • Unpacking Feminism in Third-World Countries
  • Dissecting Misogyny in Classical Literature
  • Influence of Religion on Women’s Rights Worldwide
  • Unveiling Bias in STEM Fields: Female Experiences
  • Gender Pay Gap: Global Comparisons and Solutions
  • Probing the Historical Evolution of Feminism
  • Reshaping Beauty Standards Through Feminist Discourse
  • Importance of Reproductive Rights in Women’s Health
  • Exploring Women’s Role in Environmental Activism
  • Glass Ceiling Phenomenon: Women in Corporate Leadership
  • Trans Women’s Struggles in Feminist Movements
  • Empowering Girls: The Role of Education
  • Intersection of Race, Class, and Feminism
  • Effects of Feminism on Modern Art
  • Impacts of Social Media on Women’s Rights Movements
  • Deconstructing Patriarchy in Traditional Societies
  • Single Mothers’ Challenges: A Feminist Perspective
  • Dynamics of Feminism in Post-Colonial Societies
  • Queer Women’s Struggles for Recognition and Rights
  • Women’s Contributions to Scientific Discovery: An Underrated History
  • Cybersecurity: Ensuring Women’s Safety in the Digital Age
  • Exploring the Misrepresentation of Feminism in Popular Culture
  • Repositioning Sexuality: The Role of Feminism in Health Discourse
  • Women’s Economic Empowerment: The Impact of Microfinance
  • Investigating Sexism in Video Gaming Industry
  • Female Leadership During Global Crises: Case Studies

Feminism Topics & Women’s Rights Essay Topics

Easy Feminism & Women’s Rights Topics

  • Power of Women’s Protest: A Historical Study
  • Feminist Movements’ Role in Shaping Public Policy
  • Body Autonomy: A Key Aspect of Feminist Ideology
  • Cyber Feminism: Women’s Rights in Digital Spaces
  • Violence Against Women: International Legal Measures
  • Feminist Pedagogy: Its Impact on Education
  • Depiction of Women in Graphic Novels: A Feminist Lens
  • Comparing Western and Eastern Feminist Movements
  • Men’s Roles in Supporting Feminist Movements
  • Impacts of Feminism on Marriage Institutions
  • Rural Women’s Rights: Challenges and Progress
  • Understanding Feminist Waves: From First to Fourth
  • Inclusion of Women in Peace Negotiation Processes
  • Influence of Feminism on Modern Advertising
  • Indigenous Women’s Movements and Rights
  • Reclaiming Public Spaces: Women’s Safety Concerns
  • Roles of Feminist Literature in Social Change
  • Women in Sports: Overcoming Stereotypes and Bias
  • Feminism in the Context of Refugee Rights
  • Media’s Roles in Shaping Feminist Narratives
  • Women’s Rights in Prisons: An Overlooked Issue
  • Motherhood Myths: A Feminist Examination
  • Subverting the Male Gaze in Film and Television
  • Feminist Critique of Traditional Masculinity Norms
  • Rise of Female Entrepreneurship: A Feminist View
  • Young Feminists: Shaping the Future of Women’s Rights

Interesting Feminism & Women’s Rights Topics

  • Roles of Feminism in Promoting Mental Health Awareness
  • Aging and Women’s Rights: An Overlooked Dimension
  • Feminist Perspectives on Climate Change Impacts
  • Women’s Rights in Military Service: Progress and Challenges
  • Achieving Gender Parity in Academic Publishing
  • Feminist Jurisprudence: Its Impact on Legal Structures
  • Masculinity in Crisis: Understanding the Feminist Perspective
  • Fashion Industry’s Evolution through Feminist Ideals
  • Unheard Stories: Women in the Global Space Race
  • Effects of Migration on Women’s Rights and Opportunities
  • Women’s Land Rights: A Global Issue
  • Intersection of Feminism and Disability Rights
  • Portrayal of Women in Science Fiction: A Feminist Review
  • Analyzing Post-Feminism: Its Origins and Implications
  • Cyberbullying and Its Impact on Women: Measures for Protection
  • Unveiling Gender Bias in Artificial Intelligence
  • Reimagining Domestic Work Through the Lens of Feminism
  • Black Women’s Hair Politics: A Feminist Perspective
  • Feminist Ethical Considerations in Biomedical Research
  • Promoting Gender Sensitivity in Children’s Literature
  • Understanding the Phenomenon of Toxic Femininity
  • Reconsidering Women’s Rights in the Context of Climate Migration
  • Advancing Women’s Participation in Political Activism

Feminism Argumentative Essay Topics

  • Intersectionality’s Impact on Modern Feminism
  • Evolution of Feminist Thought: From First-Wave to Fourth-Wave
  • Gender Wage Gap: Myths and Realities
  • Workplace Discrimination: Tackling Unconscious Bias
  • Feminist Theory’s Influence on Contemporary Art
  • Intersection of Feminism and Environmental Activism
  • Men’s Roles in the Feminist Movement
  • Objectification in Media: A Feminist Perspective
  • Misconceptions about Feminism: Addressing Stereotypes
  • Feminism in the Classroom: The Role of Education
  • Feminist Analysis of Reproductive Rights Policies
  • Transgender Rights: An Extension of Feminism
  • Intersection of Feminism and Racial Justice
  • Body Shaming Culture: A Feminist Viewpoint
  • Feminism’s Influence on Modern Advertising
  • Patriarchy and Religion: A Feminist Critique
  • Domestic Labor: Feminist Perspectives on Unpaid Work
  • Sexism in Sports: The Need for Feminist Intervention
  • The MeToo Movement’s Influence on Modern Feminism
  • Feminism and the Fight for Equal Representation in Politics
  • Women’s Rights in the Digital Age: A Feminist Examination
  • Feminist Critique of Traditional Beauty Standards
  • Globalization and Its Effects on Women’s Rights
  • The Role of Feminism in LGBTQ+ Rights Advocacy
  • Popular Culture and Its Reflection on Feminist Values

Controversial Feminist Research Paper Topics

  • Intersectionality in Modern Feminist Movements: An Analysis
  • Representation of Women in High-Powered Political Roles
  • Cultural Appropriation Within the Feminist Movement: An Inquiry
  • The Role of Feminism in Defining Beauty Standards
  • Women’s Reproductive Rights: A Debate of Autonomy
  • Feminism and Religion: The Question of Compatibility
  • Male Allies in the Feminist Movement: An Evaluation
  • Shift in Traditional Gender Roles: Feminist Perspective
  • Impacts of Media on Perceptions of Feminism
  • Dissecting the Wage Gap: A Feminist Examination
  • Menstrual Equity: A Battle for Feminist Activists
  • Feminism in Popular Music: Power or Appropriation?
  • Climate Change: The Unseen Feminist Issue
  • Education’s Role in Shaping Feminist Beliefs
  • Power Dynamics in the Workplace: A Feminist Scrutiny
  • Cyber-Feminism: Harnessing Digital Spaces for Activism
  • Healthcare Disparities Faced by Women: An Analysis
  • Transgender Women in Feminist Discourse: An Exploration
  • Feminist Perspectives on Monogamy and Polyamory
  • Feminist Analysis of Modern Advertising Campaigns
  • Exploring Sexism in the Film Industry through a Feminist Lens
  • Debunking Myths Surrounding the Feminist Movement
  • Childcare Responsibilities and Their Feminist Implications
  • Women’s Sports: Evaluating Equity and Feminist Advocacy

Feminist Research Paper Topics in Feminism Studies

  • Evaluating Feminist Theories: From Radical to Liberal
  • Women’s Health Care: Policies and Disparities
  • Maternal Mortality: A Global Women’s Rights Issue
  • Uncovering Sexism in the Tech Industry
  • Critique of Binary Gender Roles in Children’s Toys
  • Body Positivity Movement’s Influence on Feminism
  • Relevance of Feminism in the Fight Against Human Trafficking
  • Women in Coding: Breaking Stereotypes
  • The Role of Women in Sustainable Agriculture
  • Feminism in the Cosmetics Industry: A Dual-Edged Sword
  • The Influence of Feminism on Modern Architecture
  • Bridging the Gap: Women in Higher Education Leadership
  • The Role of Feminism in Advancing LGBTQ+ Rights
  • Menstrual Equity: A Key Women’s Rights Issue
  • Women in Classical Music: Breaking Barriers
  • Analyzing Gendered Language: A Feminist Approach
  • Women’s Rights and Humanitarian Aid: The Interconnection
  • Exploring the Role of Women in Graphic Design
  • Addressing the Lack of Women in Venture Capitalism
  • Impact of Feminism on Urban Planning and Design
  • Maternal Labor in the Informal Economy: A Feminist Analysis
  • Feminism’s Influence on Modern Dance Forms
  • Exploring the Role of Women in the Renewable Energy Sector
  • Women in Esports: An Emerging Frontier
  • Child Marriage: A Grave Violation of Women’s Rights

Feminist Topics for Discussion

  • Feminist Criticism of the Fashion Modelling Industry
  • Domestic Violence: Feminist Legal Responses
  • Analyzing the Success of Women-Only Workspaces
  • Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Human Rights Issue
  • Women’s Role in the Evolution of Cryptocurrency
  • Women and the Right to Water: A Feminist Perspective
  • Gender Stereotypes in Comedy: A Feminist View
  • Intersection of Animal Rights and Feminist Theory
  • Roles of Feminism in the Fight Against Child Labor
  • Representation of Women in Folklore and Mythology
  • Women’s Rights in the Gig Economy: Issues and Solutions
  • Revisiting Feminism in Post-Soviet Countries
  • Women in the Space Industry: Present Status and Future Trends
  • The Influence of Feminism on Culinary Arts
  • Unraveling the Impact of Fast Fashion on Women Workers
  • Feminist Perspectives on Genetic Engineering and Reproduction
  • Assessing the Progress of Women’s Financial Literacy
  • Sex Work and Feminism: A Controversial Discourse
  • Women in Cybernetics: An Untapped Potential
  • Uncovering the Women Behind Major Historical Events
  • The Impact of the #MeToo Movement Globally
  • Women’s Rights in the Cannabis Industry: Challenges and Progress
  • Redefining Motherhood: The Intersection of Feminism and Adoption
  • Roles of Feminist Movements in Combatting Child Abuse

Women’s Rights Essay Topics for Feminism

  • Evolution of Women’s Rights in the 20th Century
  • Roles of Women in World War II: Catalyst for Change
  • Suffrage Movement: Driving Force Behind Women’s Empowerment
  • Cultural Differences in Women’s Rights: A Comparative Study
  • Feminist Movements and Their Global Impact
  • Women’s Rights in Islamic Societies: Perceptions and Realities
  • Glass Ceiling Phenomenon: Analysis and Impacts
  • Pioneering Women in Science: Trailblazers for Equality
  • Impacts of Media Portrayal on Women’s Rights
  • Economic Autonomy for Women: Pathway to Empowerment
  • Women’s Rights in Education: Global Perspective
  • Gender Equality in Politics: Global Progress
  • Intersectionality and Women’s Rights: Race, Class, and Gender
  • Legal Milestones in Women’s Rights History
  • Inequities in Healthcare: A Women’s Rights Issue
  • Modern-Day Slavery: Women and Human Trafficking
  • Climate Change: A Unique Threat to Women’s Rights
  • Body Autonomy and Reproductive Rights: A Feminist Analysis
  • Globalization’s Effect on Women’s Rights: Opportunities and Threats
  • Gender Violence: An Erosion of Women’s Rights
  • Indigenous Women’s Rights: Struggles and Triumphs
  • Women’s Rights Activists: Unsung Heroes of History
  • Empowerment Through Sports: Women’s Struggle and Success
  • Balancing Act: Motherhood and Career in the 21st Century
  • LGBTQ+ Women: Rights and Recognition in Different Societies

Women’s Rights Research Questions

  • Evolution of Feminism: How Has the Movement Shifted Over Time?
  • The Workplace and Gender Equality: How Effective Are Current Measures?
  • Intersectionality’s Influence: How Does It Shape Women’s Rights Advocacy?
  • Reproductive Rights: What Is the Global Impact on Women’s Health?
  • Media Representation: Does It Affect Women’s Rights Perception?
  • Gender Stereotypes: How Do They Impede Women’s Empowerment?
  • Global Disparities: Why Do Women’s Rights Vary So Widely?
  • Maternal Mortality: How Does It Reflect on Women’s Healthcare Rights?
  • Education for Girls: How Does It Contribute to Gender Equality?
  • Cultural Norms: How Do They Influence Women’s Rights?
  • Leadership Roles: Are Women Adequately Represented in Positions of Power?
  • Domestic Violence Laws: Are They Sufficient to Protect Women’s Rights?
  • Roles of Technology: How Does It Impact Women’s Rights?
  • Sexual Harassment Policies: How Effective Are They in Protecting Women?
  • Pay Equity: How Can It Be Ensured for Women Globally?
  • Politics and Gender: How Does Women’s Representation Shape Policy-Making?
  • Child Marriage: How Does It Violate Girls’ Rights?
  • Climate Change: How Does It Disproportionately Affect Women?
  • Trafficking Scourge: How Can Women’s Rights Combat This Issue?
  • Female Genital Mutilation: How Does It Contradict Women’s Rights?
  • Armed Conflicts: How Do They Impact Women’s Rights?
  • Body Autonomy: How Can It Be Safeguarded for Women?
  • Women’s Suffrage: How Did It Pave the Way for Modern Women’s Rights?
  • Men’s Role: How Can They Contribute to Women’s Rights Advocacy?
  • Legal Frameworks: How Do They Support or Hinder Women’s Rights?

History of Women’s Rights Topics

  • Emergence of Feminism in the 19th Century
  • Roles of Women in the Abolitionist Movement
  • Suffragette Movements: Triumphs and Challenges
  • Eleanor Roosevelt and Her Advocacy for Women’s Rights
  • Impacts of World War II on Women’s Liberation
  • Radical Feminism in the 1960s and 1970s
  • Pioneering Women in Politics: The First Female Senators
  • Inception of the Equal Rights Amendment
  • Revolutionary Women’s Health Activism
  • Struggle for Reproductive Freedom: Roe vs. Wade
  • Birth of the Women’s Liberation Movement
  • Challenges Women Faced in the Civil Rights Movement
  • Women’s Roles in the Trade Union Movement
  • Intersectionality and Feminism: Examining the Role of Women of Color
  • How Did the Women’s Rights Movement Impact Education?
  • Sexuality, Identity, and Feminism: Stonewall Riots’ Impact
  • Influence of Religion on Women’s Rights Activism
  • Women’s Empowerment: The UN Conferences
  • Impact of Globalization on Women’s Rights
  • Women’s Movements in Non-Western Countries
  • Women in Space: The Fight for Equality in NASA
  • Achievements of Feminist Literature and Arts
  • Evolution of the Women’s Sports Movement
  • Advancement of Women’s Rights in the Digital Age
  • Cultural Shifts: The Media’s Role in Promoting Women’s Rights

Feminism Essay Topics on Women’s Issues

  • Career Challenges: The Gender Wage Gap in Contemporary Society
  • Examining Microfinance: An Empowering Tool for Women in Developing Countries
  • Pioneers of Change: The Role of Women in the Space Industry
  • Exploring Beauty Standards: An Analysis of Global Perspectives
  • Impacts of Legislation: Progress in Women’s Health Policies
  • Maternity Leave Policies: A Comparative Study of Different Countries
  • Resilience Through Struggles: The Plight of Female Refugees
  • Technology’s Influence: Addressing the Digital Gender Divide
  • Dissecting Stereotypes: Gender Roles in Children’s Media
  • Influence of Female Leaders: A Look at Political Empowerment
  • Social Media and Women: Effects on Mental Health
  • Understanding Intersectionality: The Complexity of Women’s Rights
  • Single Mothers: Balancing Parenthood and Economic Challenges
  • Gaining Ground in Sports: A Look at Female Athletes’ Struggles
  • Maternal Mortality: The Hidden Health Crisis
  • Reproductive Rights: Women’s Control Over Their Bodies
  • Feminism in Literature: Portrayal of Women in Classic Novels
  • Deconstructing Patriarchy: The Impact of Gender Inequality
  • Body Autonomy: The Battle for Abortion Rights
  • Women in STEM: Barriers and Breakthroughs
  • Female Soldiers: Their Role in Military Conflicts
  • Human Trafficking: The Disproportionate Impact on Women
  • Silent Victims: Domestic Violence and Women’s Health

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

385 odyssey essay topics & ideas, 415 rogerian essay topics & good ideas.

Talks on modern feminism

These essential talks delve into the intricacies of feminism, examining everyday realities in the pursuit of equality.

feminism discussion essay

This isn't her mother's feminism

feminism discussion essay

Confessions of a bad feminist

feminism discussion essay

An invitation to men who want a better world for women

feminism discussion essay

Why I believe the mistreatment of women is the number one human rights abuse 

feminism discussion essay

A teen just trying to figure it out

feminism discussion essay

Why gender equality is good for everyone — men included

feminism discussion essay

Embrace your inner girl

feminism discussion essay

Unlock the intelligence, passion, greatness of girls

feminism discussion essay

Tales of passion

feminism discussion essay

So we leaned in ... now what?

Literary Theory and Criticism

Home › Feminism: An Essay

Feminism: An Essay

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on April 27, 2016 • ( 6 )

Feminism as a movement gained potential in the twentieth century, marking the culmination of two centuries’ struggle for cultural roles and socio-political rights — a struggle which first found its expression in Mary Wollstonecraft ‘s Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792). The movement gained increasing prominence across three phases/waves — the first wave (political), the second wave (cultural) and the third wave (academic). Incidentally Toril Moi also classifies the feminist movement into three phases — the female (biological), the feminist (political) and the feminine (cultural).

1920-tallet_kvinner_710x399

The first wave of feminism, in the 19th and 20th centuries, began in the US and the UK as a struggle for equality and property rights for women, by suffrage groups and activist organisations. These feminists fought against chattel marriages and for polit ical and economic equality. An important text of the first wave is Virginia Woolf ‘s A Room of One’s Own (1929), which asserted the importance of woman’s independence, and through the character Judith (Shakespeare’s fictional sister), explicated how the patriarchal society prevented women from realising their creative potential. Woolf also inaugurated the debate of language being gendered — an issue which was later dealt by Dale Spender who wrote Man Made Language (1981), Helene Cixous , who introduced ecriture feminine (in The Laugh of the Medusa ) and Julia Kristeva , who distinguished between the symbolic and the semiotic language.

julia-kristeva

The second wave of feminism in the 1960s and ’70s, was characterized by a critique of patriarchy in constructing the cultural identity of woman. Simone de Beauvoir in The Second Sex (1949) famously stated, “One is not born, but rather becomes a woman” – a statement that highlights the fact that women have always been defined as the “Other”, the lacking, the negative, on whom Freud attributed “ penis-envy .” A prominent motto of this phase, “The Personal is the political” was the result of the awareness .of the false distinction between women’s domestic and men’s public spheres. Transcending their domestic and personal spaces, women began to venture into the hitherto male dominated terrains of career and public life. Marking its entry into the academic realm, the presence of feminism was reflected in journals, publishing houses and academic disciplines.

il_fullxfull.319476631

Mary Ellmann ‘s Thinking about Women (1968), Kate Millett ‘s Sexual Politics (1969), Betty Friedan ‘s The Feminine Mystique (1963) and so on mark the major works of the phase. Millett’s work specifically depicts how western social institutions work as covert ways of manipulating power, and how this permeates into literature, philosophy etc. She undertakes a thorough critical understanding of the portrayal of women in the works of male authors like DH Lawrence, Norman Mailer, Henry Miller and Jean Genet.

In the third wave (post 1980), Feminism has been actively involved in academics with its interdisciplinary associations with Marxism , Psychoanalysis and Poststructuralism , dealing with issues such as language, writing, sexuality, representation etc. It also has associations with alternate sexualities, postcolonialism ( Linda Hutcheon and Spivak ) and Ecological Studies ( Vandana Shiva )

Towards-A-Feminist-poetics-300x200

Elaine Showalter , in her “ Towards a Feminist Poetics ” introduces the concept of gynocriticism , a criticism of gynotexts, by women who are not passive consumers but active producers of meaning. The gynocritics construct a female framework for the analysis of women’s literature, and focus on female subjectivity, language and literary career. Patricia Spacks ‘ The Female Imagination , Showalter’s A Literature of their Own , Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar ‘s The Mad Woman in the Attic are major gynocritical texts.

The present day feminism in its diverse and various forms, such as liberal feminism, cultural/ radical feminism, black feminism/womanism, materialist/neo-marxist feminism, continues its struggle for a better world for women. Beyond literature and literary theory, Feminism also found radical expression in arts, painting ( Kiki Smith , Barbara Kruger ), architecture( Sophia Hayden the architect of Woman’s Building ) and sculpture (Kate Mllett’s Naked Lady).

Share this:

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: A Literature of their Own , A Room of One's Own , Barbara Kruger , Betty Friedan , Dale Spender , ecriture feminine , Elaine Showalter , Feminism , Gynocriticism , Helene Cixous , http://bookzz.org/s/?q=Kate+Millett&yearFrom=&yearTo=&language=&extension=&t=0 , Judith Shakespeare , Julia Kristeva , Kate Millett , Kiki Smith , Literary Criticism , Literary Theory , Man Made Language , Mary Ellmann , Mary Wollstonecraft , Patricia Spacks , Sandra Gilbert , Simone de Beauvoir , Sophia Hayden , Susan Gubar , The Female Imagination , The Feminine Mystique , The Laugh of the Medusa , The Mad Woman in the Attic , The Second Sex , Toril Moi , Towards a Feminist Poetics , Vandana Shiva , Vindication of the Rights of Woman

Related Articles

feminism discussion essay

  • Mary Wollstonecraft’s Contribution to Feminism – Literary Theory and Criticism Notes
  • Kate Millett’s Sexual Politics – Literary Theory and Criticism Notes
  • The Influence of Poststructuralism on Feminism – Literary Theory and Criticism Notes
  • Sigmund Freud and the Trauma Theory – Literary Theory and Criticism Notes
  • Gender and Transgender Criticism – Literary Theory and Criticism Notes
  • Second Wave Feminism – Literary Theory and Criticism Notes

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Book cover

Science, Technology and Modernity pp 161–176 Cite as

Feminism & Gender Equality: An Ongoing Debate

  • Kavita S. Jerath 4  
  • First Online: 27 October 2021

476 Accesses

This chapter will discuss the types of feminism and its traditional views, changing of gender relations, waves of feminism, #MeToo movement and the nature of Stockholm syndrome. The goal of this discussion is to convey an understanding of women’s progression from what was to what is today.

  • Materialistic
  • Gender imbalance
  • Suffragettes
  • Stockholm syndrome
  • Domestic abuse
  • Female infanticide
  • White supremacy
  • Racial discrimination

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution .

Buying options

  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
  • Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

McKelvey, A., & Gal, S. It’s International Women's Day—Here are 35 quotes from the strongest feminist voices around the world . Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/international-womens-day-quotes-from-feminist-voices-around-the-world-2017-3

Lewis, J. J. What is radical feminism? ThoughtCo. thoughtco.com/what-is-radical-feminism-3528997

Sheivari, R. Marxist feminism, encyclopedia of critical psychology . New York: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_682 .

Wikipedia contributors. Materialist feminism , Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Materialist_feminism&oldid=964583931

Feminism . History Chanel. https://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/feminism-womens-history

Krolokke, C. (2005, June 10). Three waves of feminism: From suffragettes to grrls. Sage.

Google Scholar  

Carlsen, A., Salam, M., Miller, C. C., Lu, D., Ngu, A., Patel, J. K., & Wichter, Z. #MeToo brought down 201 powerful men. Nearly half of their replacements are women. The New York Times . https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/23/us/metoo-replacements.html?searchResultPosition=2

Bower, T. The #MeToo backlash. Harvard Business Review . https://hbr.org/2019/09/the-metoo-backlash

Westcott, K. What is Stockholm syndrome? BBC News Magazine . https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22447726

Roan, S. Abused women may be ‘hostages’: Health: A new study says victims exhibit a behavior common in hostage situations. It may explain why they often remain in harmful relationships. Los Angeles Times . https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-08-20-vw-1268-story.html

Ullrich, J. Corporate Stockholm syndrome. Psychology Today . https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-modern-time-crunch/201403/corporate-stockholm-syndrome

Sweeney, G. 6 chilling cases of Stockholm syndrome. The Lineup . https://the-line-up.com/stockholm-syndrome

Andrea, M. (June 2004). Gender in Asian history: “Eternal flames”: Suicide, sinfulness and insanity in “Western” constructions of sati 1500–1830. International Journal of Asian Studies, 1 (02), 247–278.

Rajalashmi, T. K. (2009, February 18). Sati and the verdict. Frontline 2004 ; http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2105/stories/20040312002504600.htm

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Associate Professor, Department of General Science, Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani - Dubai Campus, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Kavita S. Jerath

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter.

Jerath, K.S. (2021). Feminism & Gender Equality: An Ongoing Debate. In: Science, Technology and Modernity . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80465-7_10

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80465-7_10

Published : 27 October 2021

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-030-80464-0

Online ISBN : 978-3-030-80465-7

eBook Packages : Social Sciences Social Sciences (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

  • Publish with us

Policies and ethics

  • Find a journal
  • Track your research

feminism discussion essay

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Meet top uk universities from the comfort of your home, here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

feminism discussion essay

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

feminism discussion essay

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

Leverage Edu

  • School Education /

✍️Essay on Feminism for Students: Samples 150, 250 Words

' src=

  • Updated on  
  • Nov 2, 2023

Essay on Feminism

In a society, men and women should be considered equal in every aspect. This thought is advocated by a social and political movement i.e. feminism . The word feminism was coined by the French Philosopher Charles Fourier in 1837. He was known for his strong belief in equal rights for women as men in every sector, be it the right to vote, right to work, right to decide, right to participate in public life, right to own property, etc. Feminism advocates the rights of women with respect to the equality of gender . There are different types of feminism i.e. liberal, radical, Marxist, cultural, and eco-feminism. Stay tuned and have a look at the following sample essay on feminism!

Also Read: Popular Struggles and Movements

Essay on Feminism 150 Words

India is a land of diversity of which 52.2% are women as per an estimate for the year 2023. This doesn’t mean that every woman is getting basic fundamental rights in society. We should not neglect the rights of women and treat them as a weaker sex. Women are equally strong and capable as men. To advocate this thought a movement called Feminism came into existence in 1837. Feminism is a movement that advocates the equality of women in social, political, and economic areas. 

India is up eight notches in #WorldEconomicForum ’s annual gender ranking. And Iceland is #1 for women, again, for the 14th year in a row. @namitabhandare ’s newsletter, #HTMindtheGap looks at why. Plus the week’s other gender stories https://t.co/9Fen6TaEnb Subscribe here… pic.twitter.com/r6XfFMINO0 — Hindustan Times (@htTweets) June 25, 2023

Traditionally, women were believed to stay at home and there were severe restrictions imposed on them. They were not allowed to go out, study, work, vote, own property, etc. However, with the passage of time, people are becoming aware of the objective of feminism. Any person who supports feminism and is a proponent of equal human rights for women is considered a feminist. 

Feminism is a challenge to the patriarchal systems existing in society. Despite this strong movement burning in high flames to burn the orthodox and dominant culture, there are still some parts of the world that are facing gender inequality. So, it is our duty to make a world free of any discrimination. 

Essay on Feminism 250 Words

Talking about feminism in a broader sense, then, it is not restricted only to women. It refers to the equality of every sex or gender. Some people feel offended by the concept of feminism as they take it in the wrong way. There is a misconception that only women are feminists. But this is not the case. Feminists can be anyone who supports the noble cause of supporting the concept of providing equal rights to women.

Feminism is not restricted to single-sex i.e. women, but it advocates for every person irrespective of caste, creed, colour, sex, or gender. As an individual, it is our duty to help every person achieve equal status in society and eradicate any kind of gender discrimination . 

Equality helps people to live freely without any traditional restrictions. At present, the Government of India is also contributing to providing equal rights to the female sector through various Government schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra, One Stop Center, and many more. 

Apart from these Government policies, campaigns like reproductive rights or abortion of unwanted pregnancy also give women the right to choose and lead their life without any external authority of a male. 

Feminism has also supported the LGBTIQA+ community so that people belonging to this community could come out and reveal their identity without any shame. The concept of feminism also helped them to ask for equal rights as men and women. Thus, it could be concluded that feminism is for all genders and a true feminist will support every person to achieve equal rights and hold a respectable position in society.

Check Out: Women Equality Day

Also Read: National Safe Motherhood Day

Relevant Blogs

Feminism is a movement which has gained momentum to advocate against gender discrimination. It supports the thought that women should get equal rights as men in society.

The five main principles of feminism are gender equality, elimination of sex discrimination, speaking against sexual violence against women, increasing human choice and promoting sexual freedom.

The main point of feminism is that there should be collective efforts to end sexism and raise our voices against female sex exploitation. It is crucial to attain complete gender equality and remove any restrictions on the female sex.

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

' src=

Kajal Thareja

Hi, I am Kajal, a pharmacy graduate, currently pursuing management and is an experienced content writer. I have 2-years of writing experience in Ed-tech (digital marketing) company. I am passionate towards writing blogs and am on the path of discovering true potential professionally in the field of content marketing. I am engaged in writing creative content for students which is simple yet creative and engaging and leaves an impact on the reader's mind.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

feminism discussion essay

Connect With Us

feminism discussion essay

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today.

feminism discussion essay

Resend OTP in

feminism discussion essay

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

January 2024

September 2024

What is your budget to study abroad?

feminism discussion essay

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Have something on your mind?

feminism discussion essay

Make your study abroad dream a reality in January 2022 with

feminism discussion essay

India's Biggest Virtual University Fair

feminism discussion essay

Essex Direct Admission Day

Why attend .

feminism discussion essay

Don't Miss Out

  • Yale Divinity School

Reflections

You are here, thinking out loud about feminism.

Each of you is here because you have been formative in my understanding of feminism and commitment to feminist ideals. I want to honor your spirit, hear your voices again, check in, take stock, get clarity. As many of you know, I grew up Roman Catholic, have studied ethics, feminist and liberation theologies, and worked as an activist for sexuality education, LGBT inclusion, and reproductive rights. I’m a wife and a mother. You know me from the classroom, social service programs, or from my church communities.

What I’d like to hear from you tonight are your latest thoughts on our subject. Do you call yourself a feminist? What does that mean to you? How do you see yourself and your work related to feminism today?

“Well, I’m probably the oldest person at this table, so I’ll begin,” says B . “Yes, I proudly call my- self a feminist and have so for over forty years. The consciousness-raising groups that were important to me in the 1970s helped me see I wasn’t the only woman who felt like my college education wasn’t supposed to go to waste just because I got married. I knew I could do all the things men were doing and probably better. From that point on, I have dedicated myself to working for girls’ education so they could join whatever profession they wanted – wear pants, play sports, run a board meeting, start a business – you know what I mean – and to always make sure they are giving back to feminism’s best hopes by making it possible for other girls and women to do this too.”

Waiting politely, but clearly looking for the perfect break in conversation to speak, D responds, “I guess I see things a bit differently. I’m not that much younger than you are, and we have both been professionals in a man’s world, though I am in the academy, not a business office. My feminist and educational journeys coincided. I guess I started out wanting to have all the things men have. But I realized, rather painfully at times, that ‘equal’ doesn’t  have to mean ‘the same.’ I have focused my ef forts more on deconstructing gender in order to free women from the oppression they suffer. If we could just get to a place where gender didn’t mat- ter – and race too – then we could imagine a world where justice is possible. We would see each other as God intended – human beings, equally created in God’s image.”

“Why are we always defining ourselves in comparison to men, and which men are we talking about?” says T, setting down her fork. “Men don’t sit around wondering how they aren’t like women or don’t have women’s rights. And the men I know aren’t all that privileged. As a Womanist, I want feminism to mean more than just ‘being like a white  man.’ My Womanist vision for feminists is one that helps all men and boys see how sexism hurts them too. It should commit us, in the face of poverty and racism, to do God’s work by standing against oppression in all its forms.”

With a sigh, L admits, “I have to say, Kate, I’m not sure why you invited me. You know I think feminism is pointless. It’s based on this narrow idea of what a woman is or wants. I just got married and I want to be a stay-at-home mom. I don’t want men to become something different. What’s wrong with gender roles if you freely choose them? In our house, my husband makes the money, mows the lawn, and fixes things. That’s what my husband wants to do, and I want to focus on the kids and the house. Somehow that makes me a failure in the eyes of ‘real’ feminists. But it’s not like anyone is  forcing me into this choice. Wasn’t feminism supposed to give women more choices and free them to decide for themselves?” says L , reaching for the broken loaf of bread resting in a basket at the middle of the table.

“Ugh, I’m honestly tired of these conversations,” retorts M , setting her glass down. “Women who have racial, economic, and educational privilege still haven’t figured out that their brand of feminism isn’t relevant to most women in the world. Let’s be realistic. Women achieving access and equality with men means only predominately white, First World women getting more education and better jobs, while blacks, Asians, and Latinas are paid to do the household labor, low-paying service jobs, and childcare in the U.S. The global picture is even worse. Those of you who have spoken so far might say, ‘That’s not what I meant or intended.’ But look at the reality. Feminism can’t just be about getting more or erasing who we are as women. It has to be about some of us getting less and seeing our racial, geographic, economic, and political differences clearly.

She continues: “My expression of feminism reflects how my experience of race, culture, citizenship, and economic standing jars white, First World feminism out of a one-size-fits-all model. I am broadening and reclaiming the use of the term feminist, without modifiers, to describe my work. Even though, I get lumped into a term like ‘global  south’ or a continental category of African feminist, as if all Africans are the same, or Asians or South Americans for that matter. We come from specific countries with regional and religious differences that are extremely important to shaping our understand ing of feminism. I’m going to concentrate on acting for justice and that’s feminism to me.”

To which J nods and agrees, “Talk about one-size- fits-all. I guess I would say I’m a feminist, but I’d add queer – queer feminist. Seriously, we need to get rid of the categories of women and men altogether: gender is a performance, and sex has more than two categories. Plus, you can alter them, change them, if they don’t fit who you really are. It has been feminist and queer mentors during seminary and in my religious tradition who have taught me to define who I am on my own terms.” Taking a bite, chewing slowly, J concludes, “God made us, but we have to figure out what that means to us individually. For me to express who I know God made me to be, I have to change my appearance, and maybe even my body, to make others see what I feel. I don’t think most feminists have thought enough about what to do if ‘women’ and ‘women’s bodies’ aren’t the tie that binds the movement. I’m here to make sure we do ask that question and work together to find an answer.”

As the quietest one at the table thus far, not a usual situation for me, I guess it is my turn to speak. As you know, I proudly name myself a feminist. I have not always fit neatly into the images created by feminist theories or feminist advocates. Like some of you, as a U.S., white, educated, upper-class woman, I have received privileges from feminist struggles fought before me. As a Christian commit ted to Jesus’ call to social justice, I am constantly challenged by the failures of past and present feminist movements especially as they pertain to racism, colonialism, heterosexism , and poverty. Modifiers to the word feminism help remind us that we have different vantage points that lead to different ex periences . I do believe that language and naming matter. If I say I am a white feminist, it reminds me that my experience of race affects how I experience injustice and inequality. It suggests I have a particular entry point out of which my advocacy for justice begins. 

How each of you regards feminism influences what feminism means to me. Your witness challenges me to keep asking questions about the future of feminist movements and theory. In my experience, feminism is a justice-seeking praxis – action and reflection, theory and movements, mutually informing each other. Feminism most often starts with the real-life experience of women, oppressed because an individual, group, or society views them as inferior and then seeks to enforce its ferocity by objectification, control, and domination. We know sexism can take relatively subtle forms, such as l ower salaries for women than men. Or it erupts as domestic and sexual violence in our bedrooms, homes, and churches. Or it persists ruthlessly in a world of poverty, where a woman dies every minute in childbirth because of a lack of health services.

The church is no stranger to gendered and sexual oppression. One of my first moments of feminist awakening was in relation to my faith and church. As a young Roman Catholic school girl, I proudly told my grandmother that this was the year I got to be an altar girl. To which she replied: it’s a shame what’s become of the church. My joy was, to her, dreaded confirmation that the patriarchal sanctity of the church was slowly crumbling. I’m waiting for further decay. Theological truth, ethical analysis, and experiential evidence have yet to convince the Roman Catholic hierarchy that women can be priests as well as altar girls! This is only a minor incident in a long line of theologically justified sexism that keeps our churches from living into the fullness of God’s calling.

Feminism recognizes sexism as an entry point for understanding how oppression and injustice operate. But feminism must go beyond models of equality that value sameness between the sexes above all, especially when the sameness means aiming to be like white, First World, educated men. My hope for feminism, particularly in our churches and denominations, is not that we reach a point where gender, sex, race, religion, and culture no longer matter. They do matter. My hope is that we reach a point where who we are in our unique individual and collective identities matters so fervently that we seek justice because of our differences, not in spite of them or in order to move beyond them.

If feminist movements and theories are to make a lasting contribution to that conversation and vision, then feminism will need each of us around this table to be willing to share a meal, see each other, disagree, and stay a while.

I hope you will come to dinner next week. There are extra chairs. Please feel free to bring someone who is not here. 

Kate Ott ’00 M.A.R. is deputy director of the Religious Institute in Westport, CT, an organization that promotes a progressive religious vision of sexual morality, justice, and healing in congregational and public life. A lecturer at YDS and at Drew Theological Seminary, she is co-editor of Just Hospitality: God’s Welcome in a World of Difference (Westminster John Knox, 2009). She is also author of Sex and the Seminary: Preparing Ministers for Sexual Health and Justice (2009, Religious Institute) and co-editor of the forthcoming Keeping the Light: Scholarship, Activism, and the Next Generation (2011, Palgrave). 

  • Thesis Statement Generator
  • Online Summarizer
  • Rewording Tool
  • Topic Generator
  • Essay Title Page Maker
  • Conclusion Writer
  • Academic Paraphraser
  • Essay Writing Help
  • Topic Ideas
  • Writing Guides
  • Useful Information

489 Feminism Essay Topics

feminism discussion essay

Women make up half of the world’s population. How did it happen they were oppressed?

We are living in the era of the third wave of feminism, when women fight for equal rights in their professional and personal life. Public figures say that objectification and sexualization of women are not ok. Moreover, governments adopt laws that protect equal rights and possibilities for people of all genders, races, and physical abilities. Yes, it is also about feminism.

In this article, you will find 400+ feminism essay topics for students. Some raise the problems of feminism; others approach its merits. In addition, we have added a brief nuts-and-bolts course on the history and principal aspects of this social movement.

❗ Top 15 Feminism Essay Topics

  • 💻 Feminism Research Topics
  • 📜 History of Feminism Topics
  • 🙋‍♀️ Topics on Feminism Movements

🔥 Famous Feminists Essay Topics

  • 👩‍🎓 Topics on Women’s Rights in the World
  • 👸 Antifeminism Essay Topics

📚 Topics on Feminism in Literature

🔗 references.

  • Compare and contrast liberal and radical feminism.
  • The problem of political representation of feminism.
  • Is Hillary Clinton the most prominent feminist?
  • How can feministic ideas improve our world?
  • What is the glass ceiling, and how does it hinder women from reaching top positions?
  • What can we do to combat domestic violence?
  • Unpaid domestic work: Voluntary slavery?
  • Why do women traditionally do social work?
  • What are the achievements of feminism?
  • Why is there no unity among the currents of feminism?
  • Pornographic content should be banned in a civilized society.
  • Does feminism threaten men?
  • What is intersectional feminism, and why is it the most comprehensive feminist movement?
  • Those who are not feminists are sexists.
  • Why are women the “second gender?”

💻 Feminism Research Topics & Areas

Feminism is the belief in the equality of the sexes in social, economic, and political spheres. This movement originated in the West, but it has become represented worldwide. Throughout human history, women have been confined to domestic labor. Meanwhile, public life has been men’s prerogative. Women were their husband’s property, like a house or a cow. Today this situation has vastly improved, but many problems remain unresolved.

A feminism research paper aims to analyze the existing problems of feminism through the example of famous personalities, literary works, historical events, and so on. Women’s rights essay topics dwell on one of the following issues:

Healthcare & Reproductive Rights of Women

Women should be able to decide whether they want to have children or not or whether they need an abortion or not. External pressure or disapprobation is unacceptable. In many countries, abortions are still illegal. It is a severe problem because the female population attempts abortions without medical assistance in unhygienic conditions.

Economic Rights of Women

Women’s job applications are often rejected because they are expected to become mothers and require maternity leave. Their work is underpaid on a gender basis. They are less likely to be promoted to managerial positions because of the so-called “ glass ceiling .” All these problems limit women’s economic rights.

Women’s Political Rights

Yes, women have voting rights in the majority of the world’s countries. Why isn’t that enough? Because they are still underrepresented in almost all the world’s governments. Only four countries have 50% of female parliamentarians. Laws are approved by men and for men.

Family & Parenting

The British Office for National Statistics has calculated that women spend 78% more time on childcare than men. They also perform most of the unpaid domestic work. Meanwhile, increasingly more mothers are employed or self-employed. It isn’t fair, is it?

Virginity is a myth. Still, women are encouraged to preserve it until a man decides to marry her. Any expression of female sexuality is criticized (or “ slut-shamed “). We live in the 21st century, but old fossilized prejudices persist.

📜 History of Feminism Essay Topics

First wave of feminism & earlier.

  • Ancient and medieval promoters of feminist ideas.
  • “Debate about women” in medieval literature and philosophy.
  • The emergence of feminism as an organized movement.
  • Enlightenment philosophers’ attitudes towards women.
  • The legal status of women in Renaissance.
  • Women’s Liberation Movement Evolution in the US.
  • Mary Wollstonecraft’s views on women’s rights.
  • Sociopolitical background of the suffrage movement.
  • The most prominent suffrage activists.
  • The Liberation Theme Concerning Women.
  • “Declaration of sentiments”: key points and drawbacks.
  • What was special about Sojourner Truth and her famous speech?
  • The significance of the first feminist convention in Seneca Falls.
  • The National Woman Suffrage Association: goals and tactics.
  • The influence of abolitionism on feminism ideas.
  • Why did some women prefer trade unions to feminism?
  • Radical feminists’ criticism of the suffrage movement.
  • The UK suffragists’ approach to gaining voting rights for women.
  • Alice Paul and Emmeline Pankhurst’s role in the suffrage movement.
  • The Nineteenth Amendment: the essence and significance.
  • Infighting in the post-suffrage era.

Second Wave of Feminism Essay Titles

  • How did second-wave feminism differ from the suffrage movement?
  • The roots of the second wave of feminism.
  • John Kennedy’s policies concerning women’s rights.
  • Eleanor Roosevelt’s contribution to feminism.
  • Debates on gender equality in the late 1960s.
  • Feminism activists’ achievements in 1960-1970.
  • What was the focus of second-wave feminist research?
  • Why was there no comprehensive feminist ideology?
  • Anarcho-, individualist, “Amazon,” and separatist feminism: key ideas.
  • The nature of liberal feminism.
  • How did liberal and radical feminism differ?
  • Why was cultural feminism also called “difference” feminism?
  • Liberal and Postmodernist Theories of Feminism.
  • What is the difference between liberal and radical feminism?
  • Black feminists’ challenges and input to the fight for equity.
  • Sociocultural differences in views on female liberation.
  • The globalization of feminism: positive and negative aspects.
  • Taliban’s oppression of Afghani women.
  • Women in the US Military: World War II.
  • What were the main concerns of feminists from developing countries?
  • Why did Third World women criticize Western feminists?
  • Feminism achievements to the end of the 20th century.

Third Wave of Feminism Research Topics

  • What was peculiar about the third wave of feminism?
  • Why did third-wave feminists consider their predecessors’ work unfinished?
  • Social, political, economic, and cultural premises of third-wave feminism.
  • How did the information revolution impact feminism?
  • Third Wave Foundation’s major goals.
  • Women’s Rights and Changes Over the 20th Century.
  • Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards’ views on feminism.
  • The impact of second wavers success on third-wave feminism.
  • New approaches in fighting discrimination, utilized by third-wave feminists.
  • The influence of the postmodern movement on feminism.
  • The concept of a gender continuum.
  • How did sexist symbols turn into female empowerment tools?
  • What was specific about third-wave feminist art?
  • Third-wavers’ redefinition of women as powerful and assertive figures.
  • “Girl power” in pop culture.
  • How did the Internet impact third-wave feminism?
  • Sexualized behavior: sexual liberation or oppression in disguise?
  • Why was third-wave feminism criticized?
  • The multifaceted nature of third-wave feminism.
  • Is multivocality a strength or weakness of third-wave feminism?
  • How did third wavers counter the criticism?

Fourth Wave of Feminism Essay Topics

  • The premises of fourth-wave feminism.
  • Feminism’s major goals after 2012.
  • Peculiarities of fourth-wave feminism.
  • What behavior is sexual harassment?
  • Gender Equality at the Heart of Development.
  • Sexual harassment: different gender-based perspectives.
  • Social media: a feminist tool.
  • Can social media deepen discrimination?
  • Gender discrimination in video games.
  • Musical Preferences: Race and Gender Influences.
  • GamerGate’s alleged “men’s rights campaign.”
  • Sexism in Donald Trump’s speech.
  • Women’s March: reasons and significance.
  • Main steps in MeToo’s development.
  • Tarana Burke’s fight for justice.
  • Gender Stereotypes of Superheroes.
  • MeToo’s contribution to women’s rights.
  • The most impactful MeToo stories.
  • Harvey Weinstein’s case: outcome’s implications.
  • Gender Roles in the Context of Religion.
  • Sexual harassment awareness after MeToo.
  • MeToo’s influence on Hollywood’s ethics.
  • Reasons for criticism of MeToo.
  • Social Change and the Environment.
  • Are sexual violence discussions necessary?

🙋‍ Argumentative Essay Topics on Feminism Movements

Mainstream feminism topics.

  • What is the focus of mainstream feminism?
  • Mainstream feminism predispositions in the 19th century.
  • The place of politics within mainstream feminism.
  • What is males’ place in mainstream feminism?
  • The correlation of mainstream feminism and social liberalism.
  • The correlation between mainstream feminism and state feminism.
  • Gender equality in the doctrine of mainstream feminism.
  • Why sunflower is the symbol of mainstream feminism?
  • Anthony Gidden’s ideas regarding liberal feminism.
  • Liberal feminism, according to Catherine Rottenberg.
  • Mary Wollstonecraft and her vision of liberal feminism.
  • Liberal feminism through John Stuart Mill’s perspective.
  • Interdependence of mainstream feminism and political liberalism.
  • NOW’s activities and mainstream feminism.
  • LWV’s activities and mainstream liberalism.
  • LGBT’s place in mainstream liberalism’s doctrine.
  • Discourse Analysis of the Me Too Movement’s Media Coverage.
  • Frances Wright’s role in establishing mainstream feminism.
  • Mainstream feminism and the civil rights movement in the 1960s.
  • Constitutional Equity Amendment and mainstream feminism.
  • International Woman Suffrage Alliance’s activities and mainstream feminism.
  • Mainstream feminism and Gina Krog’s works.
  • Betty Friedan’s understanding of mainstream feminism.
  • Gloria Steinem’s theoretical contribution to mainstream feminism.
  • Simone de Beauvoir’s ideas and the framework of mainstream feminism.
  • Rebecca Walker and her vision within the scope of mainstream feminism.
  • NWPC’s activities and mainstream feminism.
  • WEAL’s activities and mainstream feminism.
  • Catherine Mackinnon and mainstream feminism’s critique.
  • “White woman’s burden” and mainstream feminism’s critique.
  • The roots of mainstream feminism in Europe.

Radical Feminism Essay Titles

  • Society’s order according to radical feminism.
  • Sexual objectification and radical feminism.
  • Gender roles according to radical feminism.
  • Shulamith Firestone’s ideas regarding the feminist revolution.
  • Ti-Grace Atkinson’s ideas in Radical feminism.
  • The vision of radical feminism on patriarchy.
  • Radical feminism’s impact on the women’s liberation movement.
  • Radical feminism’s roots in the early 1960s.
  • Kathie Sarachild’s role in radical feminism movements.
  • Carol Hanisch’s contribution to radical feminism.
  • Roxanne Dunbar and her radical feminism.
  • Naomi Weisstein and her vision of radical feminism.
  • Judith Brown’s activities in terms of radical feminism.
  • UCLA Women’s Liberation Front role in radical feminism.
  • Why have women come to be viewed as the “other?”
  • Ellen Willis’s ideas regarding radical feminism.
  • Redstockings’ role in radical feminism.
  • The feminist’s role in radical feminism.
  • Differences between The Feminists’ and Restokings’ positions.
  • The protest against Miss America in 1968.
  • 11-hour sit-in at the Ladies Home Journal headquarters.
  • Forms of direct action in radical feminism.
  • Protest of biased coverage of lesbians in 1972.
  • Lisa Tuttle’s vision of radical feminism.
  • Catharine MacKinnon’s position regarding pornography.
  • Peculiarities of radical lesbian feminism.
  • Recognition of trans women in radical feminism.
  • Radical feminism in the New Left.
  • Mary Daly’s vision of radical feminism.
  • Robin Morgan’s vision of radical feminism.

Other Interesting Feminism Essay Topics

  • Ecofeminism’s role in feminism’s popularization.
  • Greta Gaard, Lori Gruen, and ecofeminism.
  • Petra Kelly’s figure in ecofeminism.
  • Capitalist reductionist paradigm and ecofeminism.
  • Ecofeminism. How does the movement interpret modern science?
  • Essentials of vegetarian ecofeminism.
  • Peculiarities of materialist ecofeminism.
  • Interconnection between spiritual ecofeminism and cultural ecofeminism.
  • Henry David Thoreau’s influence on ecofeminism.
  • Aldo Leopold’s influence on ecofeminism.
  • Rachel Carson’s influence on ecofeminism.
  • The social construction of gender in post-structural feminism.
  • Luce Irigaray as a post-structuralist feminist.
  • Julia Kristeva’s contribution to post-structuralist feminism.
  • Hélène Cixous and her activities as a post-structuralist feminist.
  • L’Écriture feminine in feminist theory.
  • Monique Wittig’s influence on post-structuralist feminism.
  • Kimberlé Crenshaw’s views on intersectionality.
  • Marxist feminist critical theory.
  • Representational intersectionality in feminist theory.
  • Marxism and Feminism: Similarities and Differences.
  • Interlocking matrix of oppression.
  • Standpoint epistemology and the outsider within.
  • Resisting oppression in feminist theory.
  • Women’s institute of science and feminism.
  • Peculiarities of the Black feminist movement.
  • Equity and race and feminism.
  • Pamela Abbott’s ideas regarding postmodern feminism.
  • Trans-exclusionary radical feminism today.
  • Lipstick feminism’s ideas in the political context.
  • Stiletto feminism and fetish fashion.
  • Adichie’s proof that we should all be feminists.
  • Analysis of Maya Angelou’s “And still I rise.”.
  • Susan Anthony – the abolitionist movement’s champion.
  • Maria Eugenia Echenique’s Contribution to Women’s Emancipation.
  • Patricia Arquette’s arguments on the gender pay gap topic.
  • Simone de Beauvoir’s role in feminism.
  • Madonna’s contribution to the female sexuality argument.
  • How did Clinton rebuild US politics?
  • Davis’s opinion on feminism and race.
  • Dworkin’s vision of a future society.
  • Friedan and feminism’s second wave.
  • Gay’s description of bad feminists.
  • Ruth Ginsburg – first woman champion in law.
  • Hook’s answer to “Is feminism for everybody”?
  • Dorothy Hughes – feminist leader of the civil rights movement.
  • Themes in Lessing’s The Golden Notebook.
  • Lorde’s explorations of women’s identity.
  • Mock’s role in transgender women’s equality movement.
  • Page’s championship in feminism.
  • Pankhurst’s arguments for women’s voting rights.
  • Rhimes’ strong women image in Grey’s Anatomy.
  • Sandberg’s opinion about female careers.
  • Sanger’s feminist ideas’ contribution to happy families.
  • Walker and her fight for women of color’s rights.
  • Oprah Winfrey’s role in promoting feminism.
  • Eleanor Roosevelt: history of the first politician – a woman.
  • Mary Wollstonecraft’s ideas about female education.
  • Youngest-ever Nobel laureate – Malala.
  • Emma Watson’s path from actress to feminist.
  • Why is Steinem’s name feminism synonymous?
  • Truth’s life from an enslaved person to activist.

🎯 Persuasive Women’s Rights Essay Topics

Healthcare and reproductive rights of women.

  • Is abortion morally acceptable?
  • Why is the fight for child care not over?
  • Should government participate in birth control?
  • Researching of Maternity Care in Haiti.
  • Government’s moral right to cancel abortions.
  • Should the government allow abortions?
  • What are birth control and its meaning?
  • Abortion rights recently disappeared in the US.
  • Gender Disparity in Colorectal Cancer Screening.
  • Why are women’s rights becoming less vital?
  • Western world’s degradation in women’s rights issue.
  • Canceling abortion endangers women’s human rights.
  • Female access to healthcare in developing countries.
  • Developed countries’ role in improving women’s healthcare.
  • Media’s contribution to legalizing abortions.
  • Middle-Aged Women’s Health and Lifestyle Choices.
  • Female genital mutilation’s moral side.
  • Feminism’s impact on LGBTQ healthcare rights.
  • The reproductive rights of women are everyone’s problem.
  • Abortion rights’ impact on country’s economy.
  • Protection From Infringement and Discrimination.
  • Women’s reproductive rights in developing countries.
  • Abortion rights crisis and the UN’s failure in achieving SDG#4.
  • UN’s contribution to achieving equal healthcare rights.
  • IGO’s impact on women’s reproductive rights issue.
  • Report on the Speech by Gianna Jessen.
  • Is birth control already at risk?
  • Why should abortions not be allowed?
  • Meaning of reproductive justice.
  • Reproductive rights movement’s role in the country’s development.
  • Single Mothers, Poverty, and Mental Health Issues.
  • The reproductive rights movement, as all social movements’ drivers.
  • Abortion’s relation to healthcare rights.
  • Healthcare rights’ impact on a country’s economic development.
  • Political agenda behind abortion cancellation.
  • Feminism’s role in national healthcare.

Economic Rights, Salaries, and Access to Education for Women

  • Definition of women’s economic rights.
  • Female economic rights’ impact on the economy.
  • Female economic rights and education.
  • Gender Prevalence in Medical Roles.
  • Can women do “male jobs”?
  • Gender inequality in the workplace.
  • Women’s economic rights movements.
  • How Wealth Inequality Affects Democracy in America.
  • Barriers to gender-equal economic rights.
  • Gender inequality by social classes.
  • Female economic rights and poverty.
  • Can equal economic rights solve SDG#1?
  • Gender-Based Discrimination in the Workplace.
  • Why is it important to have equal access to education?
  • How did the gender pay gap appear?
  • Why does the gender pay gap exist?
  • Women’s economic rights and industrialization.
  • Characteristics of Mayo Clinic.
  • Female economic rights worldwide.
  • Legal rights of women workers.
  • Laws that protect women’s economic rights.
  • Women as leaders in the workplace.
  • The Future of Women at Work in the Age of Automation.
  • Why are companies against women workers?
  • Fertility’s impact on female economic rights.
  • Quiet revolution’s impact female workforce.
  • Reasons to monitor occupational dissimilarity index.
  • Women’s Roles in Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism.
  • Female economic rights in developing countries.
  • Democracy and female economic rights.
  • Gender pay gap as a global problem.
  • ILO’s role in the fight for equal economic rights?
  • Politics’ impact on female economic rights.
  • Health Disparities: Solving the Problem.
  • Female economic rights movement and the fight against racism.
  • The best practices in achieving gender-equal economic rights.
  • Democracy and gender pay gap.
  • Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value.

Women’s Political Rights Essay Topics

  • Women’s suffrage movement definition.
  • Female suffrage movement’s significance.
  • Causes of gender inequality in politics.
  • Women’s suffrage movement’s role today.
  • Female suffrage’s impact on democracy.
  • Women’s suffrage and economy.
  • Suffrage movement’s effect on politics in the US.
  • Do women need the right to vote?
  • Effects of gender inequality on politics.
  • Suffrage movement and politics in Britain.
  • Laws for gender-equal political rights.
  • The correlation between gender inequality in politics and authoritarianism.
  • The possible solutions to gender inequality in politics.
  • The role of IGOs in solving gender inequality in politics.
  • How has the UN participated in the women’s suffrage movement?
  • What is women’s role in politics in developing countries?
  • How can women improve politics in their countries?
  • What can men do for women’s equal political rights?
  • Why equal rights to vote are everyone’s problem?
  • The impact of Antoinette Louisa Brown on women’s suffrage.
  • The effect of equal rights to education on equal political rights.
  • Are western policies for equal rights applicable in developing countries?
  • The importance of equal rights to vote.
  • How to eliminate the gender pay gap?
  • Why had women not had equal rights in politics?
  • Is politics a “male job”?
  • Benefits of appearance of female leaders in politics.
  • Who created the women’s suffrage movement?
  • How does women’s suffrage impact racism?
  • Women’s suffrage contribution to LGBTQ communities’ equal political rights.

Family and Parenting Research Titles

  • Female and male roles in a family.
  • Sexism in families.
  • Eliminating sexism in families is the best solution to gender inequality.
  • Why is feminism a pro-family movement?
  • The Childbirth Process in Women’s Experiences.
  • The benefits of feminist upbringing.
  • The causes of sexism in families.
  • How does feminism help LGBTQ parents?
  • Why should sexism be legally banned?
  • Healthcare Resources and Equity in Their Distribution.
  • The effects of sexism in families.
  • The influence of sexist customs on society.
  • Why should every family be feminist?
  • How can feminism help solve the domestic violence issue?
  • Government’s role in creating feminist families.
  • What is feminist family value?
  • The relation of authoritarian parent-paradigm on politics.
  • Can feminist families bring democracy?
  • Teaching feminism at home vs. at school.
  • Traditional vs. Feminist parenting.
  • Why should women have the right to be child-free?
  • The impact of bringing up feminist daughters.
  • Can feminist parents bring up mentally healthy children?
  • Does the government have a moral right to endorse feminist values?
  • The role of media for feminist families.
  • How does feminism transform parent-child relationships?
  • Can feminism help families overcome poverty?
  • The role of feminist families in the economy.
  • The influence of hierarchal husband-wife relationships on children.
  • Do IGOs have moral rights to intervene in feminist families?
  • The movements endorsing feminism in families.
  • The effect of different views on feminism in parents on children.

Sexuality Essay Ideas

  • The views of radical feminists on women’s sexuality.
  • Who are sex-positive feminists, and their values?
  • Feminism’s impact on sexual orientation.
  • The role of feminism in sexual identity matters.
  • Gender-Based Violence Against Women and Girls.
  • How does feminism help eliminate sexual violence?
  • What is harassment, and why are feminists fighting it?
  • The role of media in women’s sexuality.
  • Traditional views on women’s sexuality.
  • How is feminism transforming sexuality?
  • Domestic Violence and COVID-19 Relation.
  • What are feminist sex wars?
  • Why are some feminists against pornography?
  • What are pro-pornography feminist arguments?
  • How is feminism protecting the rights of sex workers?
  • Rights of sex workers in developed vs. developing countries.
  • Media Promotion of Cosmetic Surgery in Women.
  • Feminist critique of censorship.
  • What is behind the issue of sex trafficking?
  • Children’s rape problem and feminism.
  • The role of feminism in solving the sex trafficking problem.
  • The Influence of the Women Image in the Media.
  • R v. Butler case discussion.
  • How is pornography enhancing sexual objectification?
  • How is poverty causing prostitution?
  • Can feminism eliminate prostitution by solving poverty?
  • Child Marriage in Egypt and Ways to Stop It.
  • Pro-sex worker feminists and their beliefs.
  • What are the perspectives of pro-sex workers?
  • The consequences of violence against women.
  • The role of feminism to LGBTQ sex workers.
  • Why are feminists trying to decriminalize prostitution?
  • Beauty Standards: “The Body Myth” by Rebecca Johnson.
  • Prostitution in developed vs. developing countries.
  • The effect of class and race differences on prostitution.
  • Short- and long-term impacts on sex workers.

👩‍🎓 Essay Topics on Women’s Rights in the World

Essay topics on feminism in developing countries.

  • Social taboos and abortion in Nigeria.
  • Access to sexual healthcare in Asia.
  • Human Papillomavirus Awareness in Saudi Women.
  • Sexual health and access to contraception in developing countries.
  • Coronavirus pandemic’s impact on gender inequalities.
  • Health and education access for women in Afghanistan.
  • Female Empowerment in the Islamic States.
  • Does poverty result in increased sexual violence?
  • Regulations on gender equality in developing countries.
  • Unsafe abortion, contraceptive use, and women’s health.
  • Female genital mutilation in the 21st century.
  • Practicing female genital mutation in Africa.
  • Gender Discrimination After the Reemergence of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
  • Which countries have the highest gender gap?
  • Forced and child marriages in humanitarian settings.
  • The Taliban’s view: Is woman a property?
  • Feminism in Latin America.
  • Honor killing in Pakistan: 1000 women are killed annually.
  • Women’s access to healthcare in Somalia.

Feminism Essay Topics in Developed Countries

  • “Broken Rung” and the gender pay gap.
  • What are the obstacles to reaching gender equality?
  • Do gender stereotypes result in workplace discrimination?
  • Increased educational attainment of young women.
  • Culture: Women With Hijab in Western Countries.
  • Ending sexual harassment and violence against women.
  • Is sexual harassment a form of discrimination?
  • Cracking the glass ceiling: What are the barriers and challenges?
  • Domestic drama: The impact of sexual violence on women’s health.
  • Socio-cultural Factors That Affected Sport in Australian Society.
  • Feminism and the problem of misogyny.
  • The challenges faced by women in developed counties.
  • Female participation in the labor market.
  • Discrimination Against Girls in Canada.
  • Unequal pay for women in the workplace.
  • How do developed countries improve women’s rights?
  • Nations with strong women’s rights.
  • Women’s employment: Obstacles and challenges.

👸 Antifeminist Essay Topics

  • Antifeminism: The right to abortion.
  • Gender differences in suicide.
  • Manliness in American culture.
  • Antifeminism view: Men are in crisis.
  • The threats of society’s feminization.
  • The meaning of antifeminism across time and cultures.
  • Antifeminism attracts both men and women.
  • Gender and Science: Origin, History, and Politics.
  • Antifeminism: The opposition to women’s equality?
  • How do religious and cultural norms formulate antifeminism?
  • Saving masculinity or promoting gender equality?
  • Traditional gender division of labor: Fair or not?
  • Are feminist theories of patriarchy exaggerated?
  • Oppression of men in the 21st century.
  • Psychological sex differences and biological tendencies.
  • Does feminism make it harder for men to succeed?
  • The change of women’s roles: Impact on the family.
  • How were traditional gender roles challenged in modern culture?
  • History of antifeminism: The pro-family movement.
  • Religion and contemporary antifeminism.
  • Antifeminist on the rights of minorities.
  • Heterosexual and patriarchal family: Facts behind antifeminism.
  • Women against feminism in Western countries.
  • Feminism versus humanism: What is the difference?
  • Does feminism portray women as victims?
  • Same-sex marriage: The dispute between feminists and antifeminists.
  • Male-oriented values of religions and antifeminism.
  • Does antifeminism threaten the independence of women?
  • Men’s rights movement: Manosphere.
  • Does antifeminism refer to extremism?
  • The fear of being labeled as a feminist.
  • A Vindication of the Right of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft.
  • Jane Austen: Criticism of inequitable social rules.
  • Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley: Frankenstein and aborted creations.
  • Undercutting female stereotypes in Jane Eyre.
  • “Throwing Like a Girl: A Phenomenology of Feminine Body” by Marion.
  • Oppression of woman’s traditional roles in The Awakening.
  • Society’s inequitable treatment of women in The Age of Innocence.
  • Virginia Woolf and her feminism.
  • Orlando: A Biography. Evolving from man to woman.
  • Harriet Jacobs’s Experiences as an Enslaved Black Woman.
  • Feminist criticism: A Room of One’s Own.
  • Social oppression in Three Guineas by Woolf.
  • Rape, illegitimacy, and motherhood in The Judge by Rebecca West.
  • Feminist utopias of Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
  • Women’s rights and societal reform views of Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
  • Feminist critics in a culture dominated by men.
  • Black women’s aesthetic in Their Eyes Were Watching God.
  • Alice Walker’s ideas on Feminist women of color.
  • Female sexuality in Fear of Flying by Erica Jong.
  • How do feminist novels address race and ethnicity?
  • Society’s inequitable treatment of women in the Age of Innocence.
  • Social and emotional pressures in Love Medicine by Erdrich.
  • Feminist Parenting: The Fight for Equality at Home – Psychology Today
  • Feminist Parenting: An Introduction – Transformation Central Home
  • Women’s suffrage – Britannica
  • Only half of the women in the developing world are in charge of their own bodies – Reuters
  • Gender Equality for Development – The World Bank
  • How #MeToo revealed the central rift within feminism today – The Guardian
  • Feminist Novels and Novelists – Literary Theory and Criticism
  • Health Care & Reproductive Rights – National Women’s Law Center

Discussion of Feminist Movements Essay

The position and privileges offered to women in society have been the basis of the controversial movements to fight for women’s rights rather known as feminist movements. The feminist movements have been behind a sequence of political and social movements that champion the equal rights of women in all aspects of life. The aspect of feminist movements can be dated as early as the 1400s whereby famous authors such as Christine de Pizan championed equal economic, political, and social rights for women in the society through her writings (Andersen and Witham, 2011). The growth of the feminist movements has seen a sequence of waves that have been held more in institutions such as universities and political spaces. The grievances staged by the feminist movements have resulted in more women being enrolled in schools, the political arena, and even in male-dominated workspaces.

The feminist movements have presented an array of inequality and discrimination grievances against women in society since time immemorial. Among the issues that have been presented by the feminist movements include domestic violence, sexual harassment, economic inequality, body shaming, and female genital mutilation. Gender inequality in religious and political systems also are issues that have been presented by feminist movements.

Another social movement that is related to gender equality and women’s rights is the gender-based violence against women movements (Council of Europe Portal, 2022). The ancient society had been built using the patriarchal frames resulting in the society reducing the role of a woman in the society as a housewife only. Women were taken to be objects and as a sign of prestige which led to gender-based violence against women. Currently, women are experiencing forms of gender-based violence from toxic partners in unstable relationships. Nevertheless, the gender-based violence movements play a major role in ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice and are charged accordingly by the law.

Andersen, M., & Witham, H. D. (2011). Thinking about females: Sociological perspectives on sex and gender.

Council of Europe Portal. (2022). Feminism and Women’s Rights Movements . Gender Matters. Web.

  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, May 11). Discussion of Feminist Movements. https://ivypanda.com/essays/discussion-of-feminist-movements/

"Discussion of Feminist Movements." IvyPanda , 11 May 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/discussion-of-feminist-movements/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Discussion of Feminist Movements'. 11 May.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Discussion of Feminist Movements." May 11, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/discussion-of-feminist-movements/.

1. IvyPanda . "Discussion of Feminist Movements." May 11, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/discussion-of-feminist-movements/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Discussion of Feminist Movements." May 11, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/discussion-of-feminist-movements/.

  • Medieval Women. ‘The Book of the City of Ladies’ by de Pizan
  • "The Book of the City of Ladies" by Christine de Pizan
  • Gnome Graphic User Interface and Workspaces
  • Discussion of Body Shaming Among Teenagers
  • Female Genital Mutilation
  • Online Shaming, Its Positive and Negative Effects
  • Comparson of Two Versions of the Story of Lucretia
  • Female Genital Mutilation Analysis
  • Addressing the Issue of Female Genital Mutilation
  • Historiography and Critical Historical Thinking
  • Protests Over the Death of George Floyd
  • Anti-Globalization Movement's Goals and Power
  • Civic Engagement in the Stop the Bleed Campaign
  • Bronx Developmental Disabilities Council: Organization Assessment
  • The "Say Her Name" Social Movement Analysis

EnglishPost.org

Discussion Questions about Feminism

Feminism is defined as a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.

Feminism can be seen as both an individual commitment to treating people as equals and a political movement towards restructuring society in fair ways. In order to achieve this, feminist activists have directly challenged oppressive social practices, institutions and

These are some common questions to discuss what feminism is and possibly understand it better

Table of Contents

Is Feminism a Controversial Topic?

Questions about feminism, more esl conversation questions.

Feminism can be a controversial topic, as opinions on it vary widely.

Feminism is a diverse and multifaceted movement with different branches and perspectives.

At its core, feminism advocates for the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. However, the ways in which individuals and groups interpret and approach this goal can differ, leading to varying opinions and controversies.

When addressing questions about feminism in an educational setting, teachers should be mindful of creating an inclusive and respectful environment.

Here are some considerations:

Create a Safe Space:

  • Foster an atmosphere where students feel comfortable expressing their opinions and asking questions.
  • Emphasize the importance of respectful dialogue and active listening.

Acknowledge Diverse Perspectives:

  • Recognize that students may come from diverse backgrounds and hold different opinions on feminism.
  • Encourage open discussions that allow for a range of perspectives to be shared.

Provide Context:

  • Ensure that students have a foundational understanding of what feminism is and its various branches.
  • Offer historical and cultural context to help students appreciate the evolution of feminist thought.

Avoid Stereotyping:

  • Be cautious not to perpetuate stereotypes about feminists or gender roles.
  • Encourage critical thinking and challenge assumptions.

Be Inclusive:

  • Incorporate the voices of feminists from various backgrounds, including women of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those from different socio-economic backgrounds.
  • Highlight the intersectionality of feminism, recognizing the interconnectedness of different social categories.

Provide Resources:

  • Offer a variety of readings, films, and other resources that explore different aspects of feminism.
  • Make sure the resources are accessible and inclusive.

Respect Individual Choices:

  • Acknowledge that individuals may have different beliefs and choices regarding their own engagement with feminist ideas.
  • Avoid imposing a specific perspective and respect students’ autonomy.

Address Misconceptions:

  • Be prepared to address common misconceptions about feminism and provide accurate information.
  • Correct misunderstandings in a constructive and informative manner.

By approaching discussions about feminism with sensitivity, inclusivity, and a commitment to open dialogue, teachers can create a positive learning environment that encourages critical thinking and respectful engagement with diverse perspectives.

Feminism is the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes.

Although largely originating in the West, feminism is manifested worldwide and is represented by various institutions who fight on behalf of women’s rights and interests.

These are some questions about feminism

  • How do you define feminism?
  • What do you know about the history of feminism?
  • Who should be credited with starting the feminist movement?
  • What are some types of feminism?
  • Has Feminism changed over time?
  • How has gender affected your life?
  • Do you consider yourself to be a feminist?
  • Do you agree men and women should be equal? What steps can we take to achieve equality?
  • What do feminists generally agree on?
  • What do feminists disagree about?
  • Can you name some feminist figures?
  • What questions would you like to ask a feminist?
  • What questions do people ask most about feminism?
  • Why don’t we hear more men speaking out about women’s rights?
  • How can we encourage more men to stand up for women’s rights?
  • Do feminists hate men?
  • Wasn’t Margaret Thatcher a feminist?
  • What do you think about the gender pay gap?
  • Why are some people against feminism?
  • Can men be feminists?
  • Is your country totally fair and equal to women and men?
  • Who are the most vocal people in favor of feminism?
  • Who are the most vocal people against feminism?
  • What is your opinion of sexual objectification?
  • Is it really better to be a woman today than 50 years ago?
  • Do feminists have a hard time dating men?
  • What’s a feminist boyfriend?
  • What’s feminist underwear?
  • How is feminism viewed in your country?
  • What do you think about female genital mutilation?

I hope that you have found these questions about feminism useful

These are some posts with more ESL conversation questions

  • Discussion Questions about Shopping
  • Discussion Questions about God
  • 30 Technology Discussion Questions
  • 30 Social Networks Conversation Questions
  • Discussion Questions about Transportation
  • Discussion Questions about Poverty
  • 50 Conversation Questions About Celebrities

Manuel Campos, English Professor

I am Jose Manuel, English professor and creator of EnglishPost.org, a blog whose mission is to share lessons for those who want to learn and improve their English

Related Posts

Questions about Lies for the ESL Classroom

Questions about Lies for the ESL Classroom

ESL Discussion Questions about Luck

ESL Discussion Questions about Luck

70 Music Conversation Questions

70 Music Conversation Questions

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Introduction to feminism, topics: what is feminism.

  • Introduction
  • What is Feminism?  
  • Historical Context
  • Normative and Descriptive Components
  • Feminism and the Diversity of Women
  • Feminism as Anti-Sexism
  • Topics in Feminism: Overview of the Sub-Entries

Bibliography

Works cited.

  • General Bibliography [under construction]
  • Topical Bibliographies [under construction]

Other Internet Resources

Related entries, i.  introduction, ii.  what is feminism, a.  historical context, b.  normative and descriptive components.

i) (Normative) Men and women are entitled to equal rights and respect. ii) (Descriptive) Women are currently disadvantaged with respect to rights and respect, compared with men.
Feminism is grounded on the belief that women are oppressed or disadvantaged by comparison with men, and that their oppression is in some way illegitimate or unjustified. Under the umbrella of this general characterization there are, however, many interpretations of women and their oppression, so that it is a mistake to think of feminism as a single philosophical doctrine, or as implying an agreed political program. (James 2000, 576)

C.  Feminism and the Diversity of Women

Feminism, as liberation struggle, must exist apart from and as a part of the larger struggle to eradicate domination in all its forms. We must understand that patriarchal domination shares an ideological foundation with racism and other forms of group oppression, and that there is no hope that it can be eradicated while these systems remain intact. This knowledge should consistently inform the direction of feminist theory and practice. (hooks 1989, 22)
Unlike many feminist comrades, I believe women and men must share a common understanding--a basic knowledge of what feminism is--if it is ever to be a powerful mass-based political movement. In Feminist Theory: from margin to center, I suggest that defining feminism broadly as "a movement to end sexism and sexist oppression" would enable us to have a common political goal…Sharing a common goal does not imply that women and men will not have radically divergent perspectives on how that goal might be reached. (hooks 1989, 23)
…no woman is subject to any form of oppression simply because she is a woman; which forms of oppression she is subject to depend on what "kind" of woman she is. In a world in which a woman might be subject to racism, classism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, if she is not so subject it is because of her race, class, religion, sexual orientation. So it can never be the case that the treatment of a woman has only to do with her gender and nothing to do with her class or race. (Spelman 1988, 52-3)

D.  Feminism as Anti-Sexism

 i) (Descriptive claim) Women, and those who appear to be women, are subjected to wrongs and/or injustice at least in part because they are or appear to be women. ii) (Normative claim) The wrongs/injustices in question in (i) ought not to occur and should be stopped when and where they do.

III.  Topics in Feminism: Overview of the Sub-Entries

  • Alexander, M. Jacqui and Lisa Albrecht, eds.  1998. The Third Wave: Feminist Perspectives on Racism.  New York: Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press.
  • Anderson, Elizabeth.  1999a.  “What is the Point of Equality?”  Ethics 109(2): 287-337.
  • ______.  1999b.  "Reply” Brown Electronic Article Review Service, Jamie Dreier and David Estlund, editors, World Wide Web, (http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Philosophy/bears/homepage.html), Posted 12/22/99.
  • Anzaldúa, Gloria, ed. 1990. Making Face, Making Soul: Haciendo Caras.  San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books.
  • Baier, Annette C.  1994.  Moral Prejudices: Essays on Ethics.  Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Barrett, Michèle.  1991. The Politics of Truth: From Marx to Foucault. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
  • Bartky, Sandra. 1990.  “Foucault, Femininity, and the Modernization of Patriarchal Power.” In her Femininity and Domination. New York: Routledge, 63-82.
  • Basu, Amrita. 1995. The Challenge of Local Feminisms: Women's Movements in Global Perspective.  Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
  • Baumgardner, Jennifer and Amy Richards. 2000.  Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
  • Beauvoir, Simone de. 1974 (1952).  The Second Sex. Trans. and Ed. H. M. Parshley.  New York: Vintage Books.
  • Benhabib, Seyla.  1992.  Situating the Self: Gender, Community, and Postmodernism in Contemporary Ethics.   New York: Routledge.
  • Calhoun, Cheshire. 2000.  Feminism, the Family, and the Politics of the Closet: Lesbian and Gay Displacement.  Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • ______.  1989.  “Responsibility and Reproach.”  Ethics 99(2): 389-406.
  • Collins, Patricia Hill.  1990.  Black Feminist Thought. Boston, MA: Unwin Hyman.
  • Cott, Nancy.  1987.  The Grounding of Modern Feminism.  New Haven: Yale University Press.
  • Crenshaw, Kimberlé. 1991. “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color.“ Stanford Law Review , 43(6): 1241-1299.
  • Crenshaw, Kimberlé, Neil Gotanda, Gary Peller and Kendall Thomas. 1995.  “Introduction.” In Critical Race Theory, ed., Kimberle Crenshaw, et al. New York: The New Press, xiii-xxxii.Davis, Angela. 1983. Women, Race and Class.  New York: Random House.
  • Crow, Barbara.  2000.  Radical Feminism: A Documentary Reader.  New York: New York University Press.
  • Delmar, Rosalind.  2001. "What is Feminism?” In Theorizing Feminism, ed., Anne C. Hermann and Abigail J. Stewart.  Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 5-28.
  • Duplessis, Rachel Blau, and Ann Snitow, eds. 1998. The Feminist Memoir Project: Voices from Women's Liberation.  New York: Random House (Crown Publishing).
  • Dutt, M.  1998.  "Reclaiming a Human Rights Culture: Feminism of Difference and Alliance." In Talking Visions: Multicultural Feminism in a Transnational Age , ed., Ella Shohat. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 225-246.
  • Echols, Alice. 1990.  Daring to Be Bad: Radical Feminism in America, 1967-75.   Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
  • Engels, Friedrich.  1972 (1845).  The Origin of The Family, Private Property, and the State.   New York: International Publishers.
  • Findlen, Barbara. 2001. Listen Up: Voices from the Next Feminist Generation, 2nd edition.  Seattle, WA: Seal Press.
  • Fine, Michelle and Adrienne Asch, eds. 1988. Women with Disabilities: Essays in Psychology, Culture, and Politics. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
  • Fraser, Nancy and Linda Nicholson.  1990.  "Social Criticism Without Philosophy: An Encounter Between Feminism and Postmodernism." In Feminism/Postmodernism, ed., Linda Nicholson. New York: Routledge.
  • Friedan, Betty.  1963. The Feminine Mystique.   New York: Norton.
  • Frye, Marilyn.  1983. The Politics of Reality.  Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press.
  • Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie. 1997.  Extraordinary Bodies: Figuring Physical Disability in American Culture and Literature. New York: Columbia University Press.
  • Grewal, I. 1998.  "On the New Global Feminism and the Family of Nations: Dilemmas of Transnational Feminist Practice."  In Talking Visions: Multicultural Feminism in a Transnational Age, ed., Ella Shohat.  Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 501-530.
  • Hampton, Jean.  1993. “Feminist Contractarianism,” in Louise M. Antony and Charlotte Witt, eds. A Mind of One’s Own: Feminist Essays on Reason and Objectivity,  Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
  • Haslanger, Sally. Forthcoming. “Oppressions: Racial and Other.”  In Racism, Philosophy and Mind: Philosophical Explanations of Racism and Its Implications, ed., Michael Levine and Tamas Pataki.  Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
  • Held, Virginia. 1993. Feminist Morality: Transforming Culture, Society, and Politics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • Herrman, Anne C. and Abigail J. Stewart, eds. 1994.  Theorizing Feminism: Parallel Trends in the Humanities and Social Sciences.  Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
  • Heywood, Leslie and Jennifer Drake, eds. 1997.  Third Wave Agenda: Being Feminist, Doing Feminism. 
  • Hillyer, Barbara. 1993.  Feminism and Disability. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press.
  • Hoagland, Sarah L.  1989. Lesbian Ethics: Toward New Values.   Palo Alto, CA: Institute for Lesbian Studies.
  • Hooks, bell. 1989. Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black.  Boston: South End Press.
  • ______.  1984. Feminist Theory from Margin to Center.  Boston: South End Press.
  • ______. 1981.  Ain't I A Woman: Black Women and Feminism.   Boston: South End Press.
  • Hurtado, Aída.  1996.  The Color of Privilege: Three Blasphemies on Race and Feminism. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
  • Jagger, Alison M.  1983.  Feminist Politics and Human Nature.  Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.
  • James, Susan. 2000.  “Feminism in Philosophy of Mind: The Question of Personal Identity.” In The Cambridge Companion to Feminism in Philosophy, ed., Miranda Fricker and Jennifer Hornsby.  Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Kiss, Elizabeth. 1995.  "Feminism and Rights." Dissent 42(3): 342-347
  • Kittay, Eva Feder.  1999.  Love’s Labor: Essays on Women, Equality and Dependency. New York: Routledge.
  • Kymlicka, Will.  1989. Liberalism, Community and Culture. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
  • Mackenzie, Catriona and Natalie Stoljar, eds.  2000.  Relational Autonomy: Feminist perspectives on Autonomy, Agency and the Social Self.  Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • MacKinnon, Catharine.  1989.  Towards a Feminist Theory of the State.  Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • ______.  1987. Feminism Unmodified.  Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Mohanty, Chandra, Ann Russo, and Lourdes Torres, eds.  1991.  Third  World Women and the Politics of Feminism.    Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
  • Molyneux, Maxine and Nikki Craske, eds. 2001. Gender and the Politics of Rights and Democracy in Latin America. Basingstoke: Palgrave McMillan.
  • Moody-Adams, Michele. 1997.  Fieldwork in Familiar Places: Morality, Culture and Philosophy.  Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
  • Moraga, Cherrie.  2000. "From a Long Line of Vendidas: Chicanas and Feminism." In her Loving in the War Years, 2nd edition.  Boston: South End Press.
  • Moraga, Cherrie and Gloria Anzaldúa, eds. 1981.  This Bridge Called My Back: Writings of Radical Women of Color. Watertown, MA: Persephone Press.
  • Narayan, Uma.  1997.  Dislocating Cultures: Identities, Traditions, and Third World Feminism.   New York: Routledge.
  • Nussbaum, Martha. 1995.  "Human Capabilities, Female Human Beings." In Women, Culture and Development : A Study of Human Capabilities, ed., Martha Nussbaum and Jonathan Glover.  Oxford: Oxford University Press, 61-104.
  • _______.  1999.  Sex and Social Justice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • O’Brien, Mary.  1979.  “Reproducing Marxist Man.”  In The Sexism of Social and Political Theory: Women and Reproduction from Plato to Nietzsche, ed., Lorenne M. G. Clark and Lynda Lange.  Toronto: Toronto University Press, 99-116.  Reprinted in (Tuana and Tong 1995: 91-103).
  • Ong, Aihwa.  1988. "Colonialism and Modernity: Feminist Re-presentation of Women in Non-Western Societies.” Inscriptions 3(4): 90. Also in (Herrman and Stewart 1994).
  • Okin, Susan Moller. 1989.  Justice, Gender, and the Family.  New York: Basic Books.
  • ______.  1979.  Women in Western Political Thought.   Princeton: Princeton University Press.
  • Pateman, Carole.  1988.  The Sexual Contract.    Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press.
  • Reagon, Bernice Johnson. 1983. "Coalition Politics: Turning the Century." In: Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology, ed. Barbara Smith. New York: Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, 356-368.
  • Robinson, Fiona.  1999.  Globalizing Care: Ethics, Feminist Theory, and International Affairs. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
  • Rubin, Gayle.  1975.  “The Traffic in Women: Notes on the “Political Economy” of Sex.”  In Towards an Anthropology of Women , ed., Rayna Rapp Reiter.  New York: Monthly Review Press, 157-210.
  • Ruddick, Sara. 1989.  Maternal Thinking: Towards a Politics of Peace.  Boston: Beacon Press.
  • Schneir, Miriam, ed. 1994. Feminism in Our Time: The Essential Writings, World War II to the Present.  New York: Vintage Books.
  • ______.  1972.  Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings. New York: Vintage Books.
  • Scott, Joan W. 1988.  “Deconstructing Equality-Versus-Difference: or The Uses of Poststructuralist Theory for Feminism.” Feminist Studies 14 (1):  33-50.
  • Silvers, Anita, David Wasserman, Mary Mahowald. 1999.   Disability, Difference, Discrimination: Perspectives on Justice in Bioethics and Public Policy . Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield.
  • Simpson, J. A. and E. S. C. Weiner, ed., 1989. Oxford English Dictionary.   2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press. OED Online. Oxford University Press.  “feminism, n1” (1851).
  • Snitow, Ann.  1990.  “A Gender Diary.”  In Conflicts in Feminism, ed. M. Hirsch and E. Fox Keller.  New York: Routledge, 9-43.
  • Spelman, Elizabeth.  1988. The Inessential Woman.   Boston: Beacon Press.
  • Tanner, Leslie B.  1970  Voices From Women's Liberation.   New York:  New American Library (A Mentor Book).
  • Taylor, Vesta and Leila J. Rupp.  1996. "Lesbian Existence and the Women's Movement: Researching the 'Lavender Herring'."  In Feminism and Social Change , ed. Heidi Gottfried.  Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press.
  • Tong, Rosemarie.  1993.  Feminine and Feminist Ethics.   Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
  • Tuana, Nancy and Rosemarie Tong, eds. 1995.  Feminism and Philosophy. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
  • Walker, Alice. 1990. “Definition of Womanist,” In Making Face, Making Soul: Haciendo Caras , ed., Gloria Anzaldúa.  San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books, 370.
  • Walker, Margaret Urban.  1998. Moral Understandings: A Feminist Study in Ethics. New York: Routledge.
  • ______, ed. 1999.  Mother Time: Women, Aging, and Ethics. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.
  • Walker, Rebecca, ed. 1995. To Be Real: Telling the Truth and Changing the Face of Feminism.   New York: Random House (Anchor Books).
  • Ware, Cellestine.  1970.  Woman Power: The Movement for Women’s Liberation .  New York: Tower Publications.
  • Weisberg, D. Kelly, ed.  1993.  Feminist Legal Theory: Foundations.  Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
  • Wendell, Susan. 1996. The Rejected Body: Feminist Philosophical Reflections on Disability. New York and London: Routledge.
  • Young, Iris. 1990a. "Humanism, Gynocentrism and Feminist Politics."  In Throwing Like A Girl. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 73-91.
  • Young, Iris. 1990b.  “Socialist Feminism and the Limits of Dual Systems Theory.”  In her Throwing Like a Girl and Other Essays in Feminist Philosophy and Social Theory . Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
  • ______.  1990c.  Justice and the Politics of Difference.   Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
  • Zophy, Angela Howard. 1990.  "Feminism."  In The Handbook of American Women's History , ed., Angela Howard Zophy and Frances M. Kavenik.  New York: Routledge (Garland Reference Library of the Humanities).

General Bibliography

Topical bibliographies.

  • Feminist Theory Website
  • Race, Gender, and Affirmative Action Resource Page
  • Documents from the Women's Liberation Movement (Duke Univ. Archives)
  • Core Reading Lists in Women's Studies (Assn of College and Research Libraries, WS Section)
  • Feminist and Women's Journals
  • Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy
  • Feminist Internet Search Utilities
  • National Council for Research on Women (including links to centers for research on women and affiliate organizations, organized by research specialties)
  • Feminism and Class
  • Marxist, Socialist, and Materialist Feminisms
  • M-Fem (information page, discussion group, links, etc.)
  • WMST-L discussion of how to define “marxist feminism” Aug 1994)
  • Marxist/Materialist Feminism (Feminist Theory Website)
  • MatFem   (Information page, discussion group)
  • Feminist Economics
  • Feminist Economics (Feminist Theory Website)
  • International Association for Feminist Economics
  • Feminist Political Economy and the Law (2001 Conference Proceedings, York Univ.)
  • Journal for the International Association for Feminist Economics
  • Feminism and Disability
  • World Wide Web Review: Women and Disabilities Websites
  • Disability and Feminism Resource Page
  • Center for Research on Women with Disabilities (CROWD)
  • Interdisciplinary Bibliography on Disability in the Humanities (Part of the American Studies Crossroads Project)
  • Feminism and Human Rights, Global Feminism
  • World Wide Web Review: Websites on Women and Human Rights
  • International Gender Studies Resources (U.C. Berkeley)
  • Global Feminisms Research Resources (Vassar Library)
  • Global Feminism (Feminist Majority Foundation)
  • NOW and Global Feminism
  • United Nations Development Fund for Women
  • Global Issues Resources
  • Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI)
  • Feminism and Race/Ethnicity
  • General Resources
  • WMST-L discussion on “Women of Color and the Women’s Movement” (5 Parts) Sept/Oct 2000)
  • Women of Color Resources (Princeton U. Library)
  • Core Readings in Women's Studies: Women of Color (Assn. of College and Research Libraries, WS Section)
  • Women of Color Resource Sites
  • African-American/Black Feminisms and Womanism
  • African-American/Black/Womanist Feminism on the Web
  • Black Feminist and Womanist Identity Bibliography (Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library)
  • The Womanist Studies Consortium (Univ. of Georgia)
  • Black Feminist/Womanist Works: A Beginning List (WMST-L)
  • African-American Women Online Archival Collection (Duke U.)
  • Asian-American and Asian Feminisms
  • Asian American Feminism (Feminist Theory Website)
  • Asian-American Women Bibliography (Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe)
  • American Women's History: A Research Guide (Asian-American Women)
  • South Asian Women's Studies Bibliography (U.C. Berkeley)
  • Journal of South Asia Women's Studies
  • Chicana/Latina Feminisms
  • Bibliography on Chicana Feminism (Cal State, Long Beach Library)
  • Making Face, Making Soul: A Chicana Feminist Website
  • Defining Chicana Feminisms, In Their Own Words
  • CLNet's Chicana Studies Homepage (UCLA)
  • Chicana Related Bibliographies (CLNet)
  • American Indian, Native, Indigenous Feminisms
  • Native American Feminism (Feminist Theory Website)
  • Bibliography on American Indian Gender Roles and Relations
  • Bibliography on American Indian Feminism
  • Bibliography on American Indian Gay/Lesbian Topics
  • Links on Aboriginal Women and Feminism
  • Feminism, Sex, and Sexuality
  • 1970's Lesbian Feminism (Ohio State Univ., Women's Studies)
  • The Lesbian History Project
  • History of Sexuality Resources (Duke Special Collections)
  • Lesbian Studies Bibliography (Assn. of College and Research Libraries)
  • Lesbian Feminism/Lesbian Philosophy
  • Society for Lesbian and Gay Philosophy Internet Resources
  • QueerTheory.com
  • World Wide Web Review: Webs of Transgender

First published: Content last modified:

Mapping a global view of feminism

Search online for the terms “feminism” and “global feminism,” and you’ll discover that feminism today comes in a variety of flavors, largely dictated by differences in the causes, concerns and condition of women around the world. Yet, while culture, politics, education and society may differ from one country to another, the commitment to obtain equal rights and freedom of choice for women remains constant among feminists no matter where they are.

In an interview with “Gender News,” noted research scholar Dr. Zilka Spahić-Šiljak discusses her views on global feminism and why “we need to bring the discussion about feminism back to the issue of social justice for women and all other marginalized groups.” Šiljak, who was born in Bosnia-Herzegovina, has dedicated the past two decades of her career to advocating for women’s rights as a research scholar and human rights activist in non-governmental organizations. Her most recent research at Stanford University focuses on the intersection of leadership, gender and building peace.

GN: Is global feminism really moving forward? Does it mean the same thing in Bosnia-Herzegovina as it does in the U.S.?

ZS: Global feminism is not a special type of feminism, separate from others. It’s the result of the world’s global economy, and enables women from different contexts to be connected and networked, and to learn from one another’s experience. As such, it should not focus exclusively on the predominantly liberal discourse on politics and economy of the West. It needs to be open and sensitive to the problems of women from third-world countries.

Feminism is obviously affected by the social and political realities of our respective societies and cultures. Feminism in the U.S., for example, differs greatly from feminism in a post-war, impoverished and ethically divided region like Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Balkans, which suffer from injustice, oppression, exclusion and ethno-nationalist exploitation. It’s important to distinguish between the concepts of global feminism and what I would call liberal feminism.

While global feminism has improved women’s lives in terms of their rights to education, economic and reproductive rights, and freedom of movement, women outside of liberal societies continue to suffer other forms of oppression like racial, class and religious persecution. Liberal feminism might work for developed, stable Western societies and for women who enjoy economic independence and comfort, but it does not take into account the oppression of marginal groups.

I would say that the main ideas of feminism--a project of social justice and equality--are being betrayed. Some women built careers that benefitted from globalization and the corporate world. They became proponents of the meritocracy in patriarchal neoliberal political and business structures that made women preoccupied with competing in the existing neoliberal political and economic frameworks. Today in the Western world, feminist studies are focused on the themes of identity, sexuality and our bodies, while the key social justice questions remain outside of their horizons.

GN: What makes you optimistic about feminism in your country?

ZS: It’s hard to be an optimist in a country where everything is falling apart due to the ethno-national divisions that resulted from the war between 1992 and 1995. In that context, the women’s movement is fragmented and divided across ethno-national lines. 

The good news is that feminism is still alive and vibrant in various forms and resists ethno-national divisions. I think that feminists in Bosnia have done a great job: they provided a “safe space” to survivors of war traumas and torture in shelters and therapy centers; they did an incredible job building peace and reconciliation and re-building communities and relationships. They struggled hard to lay legal foundations for gender equality, anti-discrimination and protection from domestic violence. Women’s groups and organizations became a reference point on the civil scene of Bosnia and Herzegovina as the strongest voice for equality and justice.

Gender equality can no longer be avoided in any discussion regarding politics, business and even constitutional reforms.

GN: For you, what has been an important turning point for feminism in the last three years?

ZS: Particularly in 2014, feminism became part of the discussion in art, sports, business, politics, fashion, music and world media. Newspapers and broadcast companies brought us stories about celebrities and successful businesswomen and men who supported gender equality and feminism. 

It is important to see celebrities like Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Benedict Cumberbatch support feminism, to learn that a woman became chairperson of the United States Federal Reserve for the first time in history, or to celebrate Malala Yousafzai as a Nobel Prize winner. But we have not seen profound changes. 

These stories did not help women in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Ukraine or Bosnia, or women in Chile or Sudan to get more political and economic stability and prosperity. However, they certainly initiated a discussion about these issues, and reminded all of us that women still face discrimination, gender-based violence, human trafficking and glass ceilings in politics and business.

Recent Articles

Anita Hill speaking at lectern

“Not a Sprint, but a Relay Race:” Anita Hill’s Politics of Hope

Lochlann Jain

Heroism, intimacy, and beliefs about life and death surface in historic research about drowning

Angèle Christin

The diverse and precarious world of the “influencer economy”

The Harvard Crimson Logo

  • Editor's Pick

feminism discussion essay

Amid Boston Overdose Crisis, a Pair of Harvard Students Are Bringing Narcan to the Red Line

feminism discussion essay

At First Cambridge City Council Election Forum, Candidates Clash Over Building Emissions

feminism discussion essay

Harvard’s Updated Sustainability Plan Garners Optimistic Responses from Student Climate Activists

feminism discussion essay

‘Sunroof’ Singer Nicky Youre Lights Up Harvard Yard at Crimson Jam

feminism discussion essay

‘The Architect of the Whole Plan’: Harvard Law Graduate Ken Chesebro’s Path to Jan. 6

Why I Call Myself a Feminist

I still vividly remember the first time I openly stated that I am a feminist, during a class in high school. My Theory of Knowledge teacher instructed his students, “If you think you’re a feminist, raise your hand.” The question caught everyone off guard — there was a brief moment of silence when my classmates and I just looked at each other, unsure of what to do. As feminism was not a topic that we often discussed in our daily conversations, we were all taken aback. To make sure what I vaguely knew about feminism was correct, I asked, “Isn’t feminism essentially advocating for gender equality?” My teacher smiled and looked at me. Another student said, “Well, if feminism means that, shouldn’t we all be feminists?” That was when people in the classroom started raising their hands one by one, until every hand was raised.

If this open and step-by-step approach were the attitude that most people held when they talk about feminism, the number of people who identify as feminists would be much larger than it is now. Unfortunately, the reality is that the public often has preformed ideas about feminism, misconceptions that hinder them from engaging in informed conversations about this topic. For example, when talking with a group of friends back home in Korea, a peer started to say that he doesn’t really like feminism. Another friend responded, telling the whole group that we should stray from political conversations. These two comments struck me as particularly problematic, for feminism is not something that should be simply “liked” or “disliked,” nor should it be strictly defined as a political issue that people can take sides on.

Misconceptions about feminism vary, but some recurring themes are the association of feminism with the perceived desire of women to bring men down and their ostensible hatred of men. Yet the dictionary definition of feminism is as follows: “The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes; or organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests.” Nowhere in the official definition listed does it say that feminism is a vicious movement led by women who hate men and desire to subjugate them.

If so many of the misconceptions of feminism have to do with the bias associated with feminist women, should feminism be called something neutral like a “gender equality movement?” Not only does this seemingly neutral term sound a lot more wordy, it also takes out the emphasis on the female identity that has made feminism so powerful. Yes, some types of feminism such as radical feminism , which emphasizes the patriarchal roots of inequality and aims to dismantle the patriarchy, do have an element of women being angry — not at the entire male population, but at the systems of gender inequality in this world. Whether people like it or not, feminism originated from women who found existing patriarchal societies problematic, and we need to respect that women are core constituents of feminism. Yet, this does not at all mean that feminism should only be for women. In fact, there is a dire need for more, if not all, men to become feminists as well.

On the surface, there seems to be less of an incentive for men to be feminists because they do not have much to risk compared to women. But for the feminist movement to succeed in dismantling patriarchal social systems and giving everyone regardless of their sex and gender equal opportunities, men must become feminist. I believe feminism at its core is the acknowledgement of the fact that the world is not at all fair. Gender inequality is prevalent everywhere , ranging from the pay gap between men and women to work-life balance. This constitutes the first argument for why men should be feminists: The world is problematic, and it is just not right for men to sit back and continue the unjust social structure that discriminates against women.

The next argument is that feminism actually liberates both men and women from social pressures. Some may question this argument, thinking that men already have the power to pursue whichever role in society they want. But in reality, gender stereotypes and social conditioning pressure people to take on or avoid certain jobs. For example, men are told not to be hair stylists or flight attendants, while women are told not to have military careers or take on any “dangerous” work. Feminism can bring us closer to a society with no gender inequality, in which everyone can choose to take on roles they fit best in, not ones they are pressured into.

Finally, feminism has tangible economic benefits for the world as a whole. According to a McKinsey Global Institute report , $12 trillion could be added to global GDP by 2025 by advancing women’s equality. If everyone regardless of gender identity can contribute to the economy and occupy various positions in society, the world can truly become a better place.

I’d like to admit that I still have a lot to learn about the history of the feminist movement and what it means to be a feminist. However, I still believe with confidence that I am a feminist. As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie puts it , “a feminist is a man or a woman who says, ‘Yes, there's a problem with gender as it is today, and we must fix it. We must do better.’” I think the world today is plagued with gender inequality, and I want this to change. Therefore, I am a feminist. And you, especially if you’re a man, should be one too.

Daniel Kim ’21, a Crimson Associate Editorial Editor, is a Government concentrator in Leverett House.

Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.

380 Powerful Women’s Rights & Feminism Topics [2024]

Are you looking for perfect feminist topics? Then you’ve come to the right place. With our help, you can be sure to craft a great essay. Here, you can find feminist topics for discussion, feminism research topics and other ideas and questions for students.

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

Some people think all feminists hate men. It couldn’t be further from the truth! Feminists are people of all genders who believe that they are socially and politically equal. Thanks to their achievements, women’s rights around the world are progressing.

If you want to contribute to the discussion, this article has what you need. Here, our custom writing experts compiled:

  • Creative feminism topics for your paper,
  • Tips to help you pick the perfect topic.

Let’s dive right in!

🔝 Top 10 Feminism Essay Topics

  • ✅ How to Choose a Topic

⚖️ Top 10 Women’s Rights Essay Topics

🔬 top 10 feminism research topics.

  • 📜 Women’s Rights History Topics
  • 💪👩 Feminism Topics
  • 📚 Feminist Theory
  • 👩‍💻 Women Empowerment
  • 👩‍🎓 Women’s Studies
  • 🏥 Abortion Topics
  • 🙅‍♀️ Domestic Violence

🔍 References

  • The 4 waves of feminism
  • Liberal vs. radical feminism
  • What is feminist psychology?
  • Feminist views on trans rights
  • Why ecofeminism is important
  • How has feminism changed culture?
  • Feminism interactions with socialism
  • The effects of liberal feminism on the society
  • Civil rights movement’s influence on feminism
  • The main proponents of feminist standpoint theory

✅ How to Choose a Feminism Topic

Picking the right topic is a crucial first step for any assignment. Check out these tips for a little starting help:

  • Formulate your topic as a question , such as “What makes Alice Schwarzer a controversial feminist figure?” This trick will help you clearly determine what your essay will be about.
  • Compile a keyword list . Once you have a general idea of what you want to work on, think of related words and phrases. For example, if our area of interest is “ Feminism in America , ” some of our keywords might be women’s suffrage movement , Fifteenth Amendment, birth control . You can use them to outline your research.
  • A concept map can be a helpful brainstorming tool to organize your ideas. Put your area of interest (for instance, women empowerment ) in a circle in the middle. Write all related concepts around it, and connect them with lines.
  • Stay clear from overused themes . Writing on popular subjects might be tempting. But can you offer a unique perspective on the issue? Choose such topics only if your answer is “yes.”
  • Make sure there is enough information available . Sure, an essay on the role of women in 17th century Tongan culture sounds exciting. Unfortunately, finding good sources on this topic might prove difficult. You can refer to subjects of this kind if you’re researching a thesis or a dissertation.

Now you’re ready to find your perfect topic. Keep reading and let one of our exciting suggestions inspire you.

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

  • Gender bias in driving
  • Girls’ education in Afghanistan
  • Women’s political rights in Syria
  • Women’s land ownership rights
  • Overincarceration of women in the US
  • Resettlement of women refugees: risks
  • Abortion rights in conservative countries
  • Reproductive rights and HIV among women
  • Honor killings as women’s rights violation
  • Access to cervical cancer prevention for women of color
  • Gender equity vs. gender equality
  • Adverse effects of child marriage
  • #Metoo movement’s impact on society
  • Environmental crisis as a feminist issue
  • The importance of women’s education
  • Is gender equality a social justice issue?
  • Why is teen pregnancy dangerous?
  • How can gender biases be lessened?
  • Ethics of artificial reproductive technologies
  • Legacy of women’s suffrage movement

📜 History of Women’s Rights Topics

The history of women’s rights in America is long and full of struggles. The US is still far from having achieved complete equality. And in many developing countries, the situation is even worse. If you’re interested in the feminist movements and activists who paved the way thus far, this section is for you.

  • The role of women in the first American settlements.
  • Why weren’t women allowed to serve in combat positions in the US army until 2013?
  • What happened at the Seneca Falls Convention?
  • Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Women’s Suffrage in America.
  • Discuss the impact of Sojourner Truth’s Ain’t I a Woman? speech.
  • Explore gender equality in 20th century Britain.
  • Trace the timeline of events that led to the 19th amendment.
  • Why was the invention of the pill a milestone in the fight for equal rights ?
  • The legacy of Amelia Earhart.
  • What was The Bitch Manifesto ?
  • Outline the history of women in American politics .
  • The role of women in the Civil Rights Movement.
  • How did the Comstock Laws affect the struggle for women’s rights?
  • How did Ruth Bader Ginsburg fight against gender discrimination in the US?
  • In what ways did the introduction of Islamic law improve women’s rights in Arabia?
  • Artemisia Gentileschi: forerunner of feminism.
  • In 2016, the first female president was nominated by a major US party. Why did it take so long?
  • Explore the origins of witch trials in Europe.
  • What did Molly Dewson achieve?
  • The history of women’s rights in Russia vs. England.
  • How did WWI influence the fight for equal rights ?
  • What were the goals of the Women’s Trade Union League?
  • The effects of the Equal Pay Act.

Cheris Kramarae quote.

  • Study the connection between women’s health and rights throughout history. 
  • When did women receive the right to own property in America? Why was it important? 
  • Debate the role of women in history of theater.  
  • In the past, Russia was one of the first European countries to introduce women’s suffrage . In 2016, it decriminalized domestic violence. What led to this change? 
  • Women in the workforce: the long road towards workplace equality . 
  • Minna Canth: the history of women’s rights activism in Finland. 
  • Who were “The Famous Five”? 
  • Why was Japan quicker to enact equality laws than its European counterparts? 
  • The role and visibility of women writers in the 19th century. 
  • What problems did the National Organization for Women face? 
  • Discuss the foundation and impact of the Redstockings. Did they reflect the general attitude of women towards liberation at the time? 
  • Who or what was responsible for the failure of the ERA ? 
  • The role of women in Ancient Greek communities.  
  • Alice Paul and the Silent Sentinels: how did they contribute to establishing the right to vote for women? 
  • Why was Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique critical to the progress of feminism in the 20th century? 
  • The presidential candidacy of Victoria Woodhull. 
  • What was the purpose of the Hull House? How did it advance women’s rights? 
  • Why did Elizabeth Cady Stanton oppose the Fifteenth Amendment? 
  • Lucy Stone’s influence on the abolitionist and women’s rights movements . 
  • Discuss the significance of literature for the success of the suffragist movement in America. 
  • Slavery: compare women’s and men’s narratives.  
  • How Frances Ellen Watkins Harper’s speeches and poetry changed the world. 
  • Emmeline Pankhurst as the central figure of the UK’s suffragette movement. 
  • Why did it take so long for suffragette movements around the globe to gain traction? 
  • From a historical perspective, why weren’t women’s rights the same as human rights? 
  • Trace the development of women liberation in Morocco. 
  • Investigate the founding of women’s day. 

👩👍 Feminism Topics to Research

Feminism is a global phenomenon. That’s why it’s not surprising that the term has many definitions. What to consider sexism? What can we do about it? How important is the concept of gender? Those are central questions feminists around the world seek to answer. Feminism’s areas of study include politics, sociology, and economics.

  • Compare feminist issues on a global scale.
  • What distinguishes radical feminists from liberal ones?
  • Black feminism: is it a separate movement?
  • When does “being a gentleman” become sexist?
  • Is feminism always anti-racist?
  • What do we need gender concepts for?
  • Feminism oppression in Islamic countries.
  • How do gender stereotypes form in children?
  • Why are societies around the globe still struggling to achieve full equality?
  • The effects of gender-oriented politics.
  • Can men be feminists? (Consider Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists )
  • How did the patriarchy develop?
  • Would a matriarchal society be more peaceful than a patriarchal one? Draw your conclusions from real-life examples.
  • Compare and contrast Judith Butler and Alice Schwarzer.
  • Effectiveness of provocative methods in feminism.
  • What’s the problem with unisex bathrooms in restaurants and bars?
  • Discuss the prejudice transgender people face. What should we do about it?
  • Why are reproductive rights a crucial issue on the way to equality?
  • Describe various types of feminism.
  • How can hairstyle function as a political statement?
  • Which feminist movements are most prevalent in Asia?
  • Trace the history of feminist ethics.
  • What’s the “pink tax,” and why should it be abolished?
  • Discuss Audre Lorde’s feminism.
  • How does feminist research methodology influence education?
  • Sexism in advertising : why is it still a problem?
  • What are the goals of Girls Who Code?
  • The role of literacy politics in achieving gender equality .
  • Stay at home moms: are they a step back on the feminist agenda?
  • Explore the origins of color-coding pink and blue as girl and boy colors, respectively.
  • Are beauty pageants harmful to women’s positive body image?
  • The problem of ableism in intersectional feminist movements.
  • What is identity politics , and why is it important?
  • New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, recently introduced her new cabinet. Of the 20 people who serve in it, eight are women, five Maori, three belong to the minority Pasifika, and three are queer. Is it what all future cabinets should strive for?
  • What makes racism a feminist issue?
  • Describe how objectification works and why it is harmful.
  • A history of women inventors who didn’t get credit for their innovations.
  • Female circumcision as an example of women’s oppression disguised as a cultural tradition.
  • The infantilization of women: origins and effects.

Infantilization of women.

  • Define how feminism influences science.
  • How does one avoid gender bias when raising a child?
  • What popular ideas about feminism are myths?
  • Gender inequality in politics of India and Iran .
  • What is the definition of ecofeminism? Describe its merits.
  • How do men benefit from feminism?
  • Why do we need gender equality in language?
  • Problems of reconciling religion and the LGBTQ community.
  • More and more fitness clubs introduce “women’s hours.” Some bars are only open for women. They claim to do this to create safe spaces. What’s your position on this development?
  • Anti-feminism: is it a movement for the far-right?
  • The impact of #metoo on work culture.

📚 Feminist Theory Topics to Look Into

Feminist theory criticizes how culture perpetuates misogyny. The best way to look at it is to divide feminism into three waves:

  • First-wave feminism (the late 1700s – early 1900s). It includes the women’s suffrage movement.
  • Second-wave feminism (the 1960s – ’70s.) Key points are equal working conditions and feminist political activism.
  • Third-wave feminism (1990s – today). It encompasses not only women but all marginalized groups.

Take a look at culture from a feminist perspective with our topics:

  • Discuss the concept of feminism in Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy.
  • Explain the success of Gillian Armstrong’s Little Women.
  • What inequalities between men and women does Mary Wollstonecraft mention in A Vindication of the Rights of Women ?
  • Masculinity and femininity in William Somerset Maugham’s Of Human Bondage.
  • An existentialist view: how Simone de Beauvoir influenced the feminist discourse.
  • The role of women in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah.
  • Discuss the power dynamics between men and women in the Terminator series.
  • How does rap music perpetuate traditional concepts of masculinity ?
  • Daisy’s character in The Great Gatsby through a feminist lens.
  • Write about the depiction of women and the patriarchy in Mad Men.
  • What distinguishes the third wave of feminism from the other two?
  • Women’s history and media in Susan Douglas’ Where the Girls Are .
  • What is the goal of gynocriticism?
  • Possibilities of sisterhood in Hulu’s TV show A Handmaid’s Tale .
  • Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar : where does Esther Greenwood see her place in society?
  • Early feminist perspectives in Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own.
  • Compare and contrast how the characters in Mulan react to the protagonist as a woman vs. a man.
  • Life stages of women in Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma .
  • Why were feminists unhappy about Prado’s exhibition Uninvited Guests ?
  • Sexuality and society in Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire .
  • Gender expectations in The Little Mermaid .
  • Feminist concepts and issues in Netflix’s Thirteen Reasons Why .
  • Challenging traditional femininity: independence and rebellion in Thelma and Louise.
  • The target audience of Mad Max: Fury Road is stated as male. Yet, the central character of the film Furiosa is a strong rebel woman. Does this make it a feminist movie?
  • Persepolis : what it means to grow up as a liberal woman in Iran.
  • Blockbuster movies have an enormous reach. Does it obligate them to support feminist issues?
  • Marjorie Liu’s Monstress : what does it tell us about feminism?
  • The Berlin Film Festival announced that they would no longer crown the best actor and actress. Instead, they honor the best performance in either a leading or supporting role. What are the consequences of this?
  • What does it mean to criticize an art piece from a feminist point of view?
  • Compare and contrast the portrayal of female characters in horror genre throughout the years.
  • Analyze Donna Haraway’s A Cyborg Manifesto . Why does the author use the cyborg metaphor? What arguments does it help bring across?
  • How do black women characters in Toni Morrison’s novels experience society?
  • What makes various awards an important instrument of feminism?
  • Analyze Katniss Everdeen archetype in Hunger Games.
  • Many classic children’s stories include outdated depictions of women and people of color. Because of this, some people are demanding to ban or censor them. Do you think this is the right way to tackle the problem?
  • What does the term “male gaze” mean, and why is it a problem?
  • The role of the body in feminist aesthetics.
  • Discuss the impact of women philosophers on renowned male scholars of their time.
  • What distinguishes feminist art from other art forms?
  • Debate the political dimension of using women in body art.
  • Does the message in Lemonade make Beyoncé a feminist icon?
  • Why are misogynist song lyrics still widely accepted?
  • How did Aretha Franklin’s music impact the Civil Rights Movement in America?
  • Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray from a queer theoretical perspective.
  • Objectification in film: analyzing Rachel’s character in The Dark Knight.
  • Investigate the Star Wars’ representation problem. How did the franchise develop into a battleground for diversity?
  • Misogynist vs. psycho: feminist aspects of David Fincher’s Gone Girl.
  • Was the diversity in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse a good thing?
  • The cultural significance of strong female characters.
  • Examine the concept of femininity in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.

👩‍💻 Women Empowerment Topics to Write About

Women were excluded from crucial work areas such as the military and politics for a long time. This situation is changing now. Empowerment programs encourage women to seek professions in typically male-dominated areas. Do you want to research ways of increasing women’s control over their choices? Check out the following topics:

Receive a plagiarism-free paper tailored to your instructions. Cut 20% off your first order!

  • Joan of Arc as a leadership idol.
  • The role of She Should Run in encouraging women to run for political positions.
  • What should we do about higher education barriers for African American women?
  • Examine current trends in female empowerment .
  • Importance of the women’s empowerment principles.

Virginia Woolf quote.

  • How can businesses use the Gender Gap Analysis Tool to promote equality in their companies?
  • Why is there such a big gap between committing to advancing equality and corporate efforts to implement women’s empowerment programs?
  • What business practices need to change so that men and women benefit from work programs equally?
  • Analyse the reasons behind poor body image among young women.
  • How does the transition from cash to digital payrolls help empower women in developing countries?
  • What challenges do large companies face when it comes to gender equality ?
  • How does making fashion a circular economy impact women?
  • Discuss what everyone can do to empower the women in their community.
  • Why is it important to demand fair pay?
  • The impact of Reese Witherspoon’s media company Hello Sunshine.
  • What does it mean to be empowered?
  • The influence of climate change on gender equality.
  • Women in leadership positions: the rhetoric and the reality.
  • Social stigma and family planning: the work of HER project in Kenya.
  • CARE: why providing women with access to clean water is crucial for empowerment.
  • How do you teach a girl that she can make a difference?
  • Achievements of the global Women Deliver Conferences.
  • How does Pro-Mujer help underprivileged women in Latin America?
  • Why is workplace health a particular concern for women empowerment?
  • What can businesses do to bridge the financial inclusion gender gap?
  • Debate how strengthening women’s social position helps fight discrimination against all kinds of marginalized groups.
  • Analyze the various benefits of women empowerment.
  • Fighting gender stereotypes in the 21st century.
  • The connection between a lack of women in politics and missing programs to support marginalized groups.
  • What are patriarchal taboos that keep women from seeking power?
  • How can a gender perspective on resilience activities assist businesses in finding ways to combat climate change?
  • What methods does the #WithHer movement use to raise awareness of violence against women?
  • The Spotlight Initiative: training sex workers to escape violence in Haiti.
  • Define the gender digital divide.
  • What’s the problem with the female gendering of AI assistants?
  • Criticize the Gender Empowerment Measure.
  • What role does the internet play in empowering girls?
  • Compare the Gender Parity Index in the US and South Africa.
  • How is Every Mother Counts working to decrease deaths related to pregnancies?
  • Debate the reliability of the Gender Development Index.
  • Child Marriage : the impact of Girls Not Brides.
  • What are the political and social constraints that hamper women’s empowerment in Nigeria?
  • How can you encourage women to give public speeches ?
  • How does e-learning help women worldwide gain independence?
  • Explore the influence of the women’s rights movement on anti-descrimination activities.
  • Challenges of women business in Mauritius.
  • Labibah Hashim as an inspirational figure for women empowerment in Lebanon.
  • How did Malaka Saad’s magazine al-Jens al-Latif inspire women to educate themselves in the Arab world?
  • The development of sexual harassment policies in East Africa.
  • How does microfinance in South America help women to start businesses?

👩‍🎓 Interesting Women’s Studies Topics for an Essay

Women’s or gender studies is an interdisciplinary science. It combines research from many fields, such as economics, psychology, and the natural sciences. Key aspects are women’s experiences and cultural as well as social constructs surrounding gender.

  • What is velvet rope discrimination?
  • The IT sphere is comparatively modern. Why does it still have such a gender gap problem?
  • Is paid maternity/ paternity leave a fundamental right for workers?
  • How do we break the glass ceiling in today’s society?
  • Discussing social taboos: postnatal depression.
  • Women in religion: why shouldn’t women be priestesses?
  • The queer of color critique: history and theory.
  • Should feminists be against supporting care policies?
  • Does foreign aid benefit women entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa?
  • Gender bias in criminal justice.
  • What does legalized prostitution mean for sex workers?
  • Does “stealthing” make otherwise consensual sex nonconsensual? Should this practice have legal consequences?
  • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks : a gendered analysis.
  • Rojava: give an overview of the egalitarian feminist society.
  • The role of women in modern nation-building processes.
  • How do we include transgender athletes into sex-segregated competitive sports?
  • Discuss the significance of gender in the euthanasia debate .
  • Chivalry and capital punishment : why are women who commit murders less likely to be sentenced to death?
  • Why do men have less confidence in women’s abilities than in men’s?
  • Are hijabs always a symbol of oppression?
  • Write about the role of feminism in international relations.
  • Universal basic income: changing perspectives for women.
  • Gamergate: what does it tell us about some men’s view on the video game industry?
  • Discuss the social construction of gender roles.
  • What is benevolent sexism, and why is it a problem?
  • The military seems to be especially notorious when it comes to discriminating against LGBT people. Where might this originate from?
  • Many army officers don’t hide that they don’t want women to serve. Why do women still do it? Why should they?
  • The Eurovision Song Contest gave drag queen Conchita Wurst an enormous audience. How did she use this opportunity?
  • Why are men who wear typically female clothing stigmatized?
  • How have The Guerilla Girls shaped the art world in the past 30 years?
  • Healthcare: what challenges do transgender patients face?
  • Femme invisibility: discrimination inside the LGBT community.
  • How did the idea develop that gay men and lesbians have to act and look a certain way to be considered queer?
  • The history of sodomy laws in the US.
  • “The Squad” as an example of the current success of left-wing women in politics.
  • Should women use their attractiveness to get what they want?
  • Are the careers of women scientists more affected by turmoil than those of their male counterparts?

Some of the most important female scientists.

  • Do children’s toys restrict gender criteria?
  • Many drugs are only tested on male subjects. How does this affect women?
  • Enumerate some qualities that are seen as positive in men and negative in women. Why do you think this happens?
  • Discuss the significance of the “Transgender Tipping Point.”
  • The meaning of “home” and home spaces for women over the centuries.
  • How do gender issues influence lawmaking?
  • Analyze queer narratives from post-soviet states. How do gender norms in these countries differ from those in your community?
  • Transgender representation in media: views of Viviane Namaste and Julia Serano.
  • Nuclear power between politics and culture: a feminist perspective.
  • Women guards in national socialist concentration camps.
  • What reasons do women have for sex tourism ?
  • The problem of eurocentrism in European education.
  • Explore the connection between citizenship and race.

🏥 Abortion Topics to Research

For some, abortion is a fundamental healthcare right. Others view it as a criminal act. Many conservative governments continue to restrict the access to this procedure. Because of this discrepancy, abortion remains a fiercely debated topic all around the globe. Consider one of these thought-provoking ideas:

  • Why was Roe v. Wade such a landmark decision?
  • Discuss why some CEOs step up against abortion bans .
  • Abortion in transgender and intersex people.
  • From a biological point of view, when does life begin?
  • What signs should indicate that it is too late to terminate the pregnancy?
  • Who influenced the abortion debate before Roe v. Wade?
  • Is abortion morally wrong? If so, does that mean it’s always impermissible?
  • Under what circumstances is terminating a life justified?
  • Who or what defines if a being has the right to life or not?
  • Analyse the access to abortion clinics as a policy issue.
  • Reproductive rights and medical access in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • People terminate pregnancies, whether it’s illegal or not. Why would one still outlaw abortions?
  • Investigate the occurrence of forced abortions during China’s one-child policy .
  • Is the fetus’ right to life more important than the mother’s right to have control over her body?
  • What rights are more essential than the right to life?
  • Discuss women’s health as their integral right.
  • Should there be restrictions on abortions?
  • Can better access to contraceptives reduce the number of abortions?
  • At what point does a fetus become a human being?
  • Is selective abortion ethical?
  • Germany’s paragraph 219a prohibits the display of information on abortion services. In 2019, the government decided to revise it, and now patients can consult a list provided by the department for health education. Is this compromise enough?
  • What is the moral status of a human embryo?
  • Should pregnancy terminations be free for low-income women?
  • Is the criminalization of abortion discrimination?
  • The social and psychological impact of pregnancy terminations on families.
  • Should the man have a say in whether the woman has an abortion or not?
  • What non-religious persuasive arguments against abortion are there?
  • Are there good and bad reasons for ending a pregnancy?
  • Should it be required for teenagers to have their parents’ consent for the abortion procedure?
  • Examine the arguments of pro-life movement.
  • Analyze how the public’s attitude towards abortion has changed over the past 50 years.
  • Is withholding access to abortions a violation of human rights?
  • After week-long strikes, the Polish government has delayed its proposed abortion ban. Is this a victory for the local feminist movement?
  • Compare and contrast the various legal abortion methods.
  • Analyze A Defense of Abortion by Judith Jarvis Thomson.
  • How is abortion viewed in Eastern vs. Western countries?
  • Describe potential health issues surrounding late-term pregnancy terminations.
  • How can we prevent unsafe abortions ?
  • What complications can occur during the abortion process?
  • Debate the impact of the March for Life.
  • Discuss whether women should have an abortion if diagnostics show fetal abnirmalities.
  • What does Planned Parenthood do, and why is the organization important?
  • Should Helms Amendment be repealed?
  • How does the Hyde Amendment impact women of color in particular?
  • Is forcing a woman to carry out an undesired pregnancy morally permissible?
  • Mexican newspaper coverage on issues surrounding abortions.
  • What are the possible health consequences of an abortion?
  • Reproductive justice and women of color: the history of SisterSong.
  • Compare organizations that offer information on abortions.
  • How is the topic of abortion approached in Jason Reitman’s film Juno ?

🙅‍♀️ Domestic Violence Topics for a Paper

Domestic violence comes in many shapes, and it’s not always directed against women. It traumatizes not only the victim but the whole family. The long-term impacts on the victims are catastrophic, too. If you want to write a research paper on this topic, be sure to steel yourself before starting your reading.

  • How did the COVID-19 lockdowns influence domestic violence cases?
  • Domestic violence in closed religious communities.
  • Does the type of abuse differ if the perpetrator is a man or a woman?
  • Compare the problem of spousal abuse in the US, Asia, and Africa.
  • Why do many victims choose not to report their cases of domestic violence?
  • From a psychological perspective, why does domestic violence happen?
  • Domestic violence prevention : the role of parental communication.
  • Should a person with a history of abuse have custody over their child?
  • Why are men more likely to resort to violence than women?
  • Identify risk factors that can lead to elder abuse.
  • Trace how the frequency of reports on domestic violence has changed in your community over the past 30 years.

Domestic abuse is characterized by the following pattern.

  • Why do some victims choose to stay with their abusive partners?
  • What actions would you classify as domestic abuse?
  • Domestic violence and feminism in Bell Hooks’ theory.
  • Cultural perspectives on domestic violence : Saudi Arabia vs. Japan.
  • What do different religions say about IPV ?
  • If a victim kills its abuser to escape the violence, what legal consequences should they face?
  • Examine the legislature of different states concerning marital rape .
  • The social and legal concept of consent in marriage.
  • Domestic violence and integrity among women of color.
  • Abuse in teenage relationships.
  • Common psychological characteristics of a person who commits parricide.
  • Effects of emotional neglect on a child’s mental development .
  • Discuss the effectiveness of art therapy for victims of domestic violence.
  • The significance of Oregon v. Rideout.
  • Explore the link between spousal and animal abuse.
  • What is the Battered Woman Syndrome?
  • Analyze different forms of domestic violence using case studies.
  • Study the psychology behind victim blaming.
  • How do mental illnesses and domestic violence affect each other?
  • What are the signs of coercive control? How can one get out of it?
  • The problem of control in gay relationships.
  • How does one develop Stockholm Syndrome, and what does it entail?
  • Analyze the discourse surrounding domestic violence in Hong Kong.
  • The pseudo-family as a sociological concept.
  • Compare cases of domestic violence in military and religious families.
  • What is compassionate homicide, and how does the law deal with it?
  • If a juvenile delinquent was abused as a child, should that lessen their sentence?
  • Parental abduction: why do parents feel the need to kidnap their children?
  • Domestic violence: new solutions.
  • Is one sibling bullying the other a form of domestic abuse?
  • How do communities typically respond to domestic violence ?
  • Explore the link between women’s suicide and abuse.
  • What can healthcare specialists do to identify victims of violence more effectively?
  • What are the economic and social consequences of leaving an abusive relationship ?
  • How does Netflix’s show You portray the relationship between a stalker and his victim?
  • Treatment of perpetrators of domestic violence .
  • Why do some people repeatedly end up in relationships with IPV ?
  • What are the main motives for femicides ?
  • Discuss the psychological aggression men and women suffer during separation processes.

With all these great ideas in mind, you’re ready to ace your assignment. Good luck!

Further reading:

Get an originally-written paper according to your instructions!

  • 560 Unique Controversial Topics & Tips for a Great Essay
  • 480 Sociology Questions & Topics with Bonus Tips
  • 182 Free Ideas for Argumentative or Persuasive Essay Topics
  • A List of 450 Powerful Social Issues Essay Topics
  • 147 Social Studies Topics for Your Research Project
  • 255 Unique Essay Topics for College Students [Update]
  • 229 Good Dissertation Topics and Thesis Ideas for Ph.D. & Masters
  • 150 Argumentative Research Paper Topics [Upd.]
  • Feminism: Encyclopedia Britannica
  • Picking a Topic: University of Michigan-Flint
  • Women’s History Milestones: History.com
  • Women Rising: Women’s Activism That Has Shaped the World as You Know It: UN Women
  • Topics in Feminism: The University of Sydney
  • Four Waves of Feminism: Pacific University
  • Feminist Philosophy: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  • Women’s Empowerment: BSR
  • Women Empowerment: United Nations Populations Fund
  • Women’s & Gender Studies Research Network: SSRN
  • Gender Studies: UCLA
  • Key Facts on Abortion: Amnesty.org
  • Abortion Ethics: NIH
  • New Perspectives on Domestic Violence: Frontiers
  • Domestic Violence against Women: Mayo Clinic
  • What Is Domestic Abuse?: United Nations
  • Feminist Research: SAGE Publications Inc
  • Topic Guide: Feminism: Broward College
  • Facts and Figures: Economic Empowerment: UN Women
  • Share to Facebook
  • Share to Twitter
  • Share to LinkedIn
  • Share to email

460 Excellent Political Topics to Write about in 2024

If you have an assignment in politics, look no further—this article will help you ace your paper. Here, you will find a list of unique political topics to write about compiled by our custom writing team. But that’s not all of it! Keep reading if you want to: See how to tackle political essay topics in your paper; Choose a topic that will be interesting for you to research; Refresh your knowledge of essential political concepts. Now, without further ado, let’s get started! Below, you’ll find political topics and questions for your task. 🔝 Top 10...

300 Interesting Nutrition Topics to Research

It’s not a secret that our health largely depends on nutrition. A balanced and wholesome diet improves our immune system. It lowers the risk of getting sick and makes us more productive. But if we don’t eat right, our overall well-being and performance worsen. You see, nutrition topics are more...

665 Excellent Presentation Topics & Tips

A presentation is a speech in which you explain a topic to an audience. It usually includes visuals done in a program such as PowerPoint. Teachers in schools and in colleges love to assign presentations for various reasons: It requires students to put their knowledge into practice.It teaches them how...

220 Pop Culture Topics for an A+ Essay

There are many ways to define popular culture. Here’s one of them: pop culture includes mainstream preferences in society within a specific time frame. It covers fashion, music, language, and even food. Pop culture is always evolving, engaging in new trends, and leaving the old ones behind.

A List of 240 Physics Topics & Questions to Research

Plates break when you drop them. Glasses help you see better. Have you ever wondered why? Physics has the answer. It studies the observable as well as invisible aspects of nature. An essential part of this is examining the structure and interactions of matter.

240 Interesting Biology Topics for Essays & Research Papers

Biology is often called the science of life. From bacteria to whales, biologists study all kinds of organisms. Have you ever wondered why bees dance? Or how can chickens be the closest modern relatives to dinosaurs? The buzzing world is full of complex wonders like these. That’s why it’s so...

321 Interesting Chemistry Topics & Writing Tips

Chemistry studies matter and what it’s made of. It tells us how substances change and what properties they have. Chemistry seeks to answer questions such as: What is the Universe made of? How do elements react with each other? Read our article to dive deeper into this intricate subject. What...

A List of 185 Interesting Cultural Topics to Write About

Culture is a set of knowledge, behaviors, and beliefs shared by a group of people. You would probably agree that it’s an integral part of humanity. It’s no wonder that students are often assigned to write about it. That’s why we came up with a list of interesting and creative...

250 Geography Essay Topics & Geology Writing Ideas

The Earth is a complex system. To understand it, geologists examine the lithosphere and its layers. They trace our planet’s history by using physical and chemical methods. At the same time, geographers observe environmental patterns. They also focus on the interaction between humans and nature. Keep reading to find out...

260 Interesting Math Topics for Essays & Research Papers

Mathematics is the science of numbers and shapes. Writing about it can give you a fresh perspective and help to clarify difficult concepts. You can even use mathematical writing as a tool in problem-solving. In this article, you will find plenty of interesting math topics. Besides, you will learn about...

220 Cause and Effect Essay Topics: Fun & Interesting

Cause and effect essays examine how an event happened and what consequences it had. Gaining weight after eating lots of fast food is an example of a cause-and-effect relationship. Possible topics cover a variety of subjects ranging from mental health to history and politics. This article gives you an outline...

160 Excellent Analysis Essay Topics & Questions

An analysis essay aims to break down the subject in order to understand it. You can choose to analyze a text, a process, or an idea. This article will help you write a great essay! Selecting an interesting topic makes writing a lot easier. We’ve prepared a list of excellent...

UN Women Strategic Plan 2022-2025

International Women’s Day

  • Share to Facebook
  • Share to Twitter
  • Share to LinkedIn
  • Share to E-mail

International women's day 2024 hero banner purple

This International Women’s Day, 8 March 2024, join the United Nations in celebrating under the theme Invest in women: Accelerate progress .

The world is facing many crises, ranging from geopolitical conflicts to soaring poverty levels and the escalating impacts of climate change. These challenges can only be addressed by solutions that empower women. By investing in women, we can spark change and speed the transition towards a healthier, safer, and more equal world for all.

Needed per year to achieve gender equality

An additional $360 billion is needed per year to achieve gender equality.

20% to boost GDP per capita could be achieved by closing the gender gap

Closing gender gaps in employment could boost GDP per capita by 20 per cent. 

300 million jobs created by 2030 by investing in care services

Closing gaps in care and expanding services with decent jobs could spark almost 300 million jobs by 2035.

If current trends continue, more than  342 million women and girls could be living extreme poverty  by 2030. To ensure women’s needs and priorities are considered, governments must prioritize gender-responsive financing and increase public spending on essential services and social protection.

Policymakers must also value, recognize, and account for the vital contribution women make to economies worldwide through paid and unpaid care work.  Women spend around three times more time on unpaid care work than men and if these activities were assigned a monetary value they would account for more than 40 per cent of GDP .

Investing in women and championing gender equality turbocharges a future where everyone in society can thrive, creating a world of boundless opportunity and empowerment for all.

Anne Hathaway's call to action on #IWD2024

Accelerating economic empowerment

Flor María

Why investing in women is a human rights issue

Nicole is one of few women working on the ships and docks at Port Victoria, Seychelles.

Five things to accelerate women’s economic empowerment

care-nexus-crop

Unpacking the care society: Caring for people and the planet

During a demonstration in downtown New York as part of the youth-lead global #ClimateStrike in 2019, a participant creates a sign that reads "Climate Change is not the Change We Are Looking For."

New report shows how feminism can be a powerful tool to fight climate change

Invest in women, accelerate progress.

Economic justice — Get the facts

Photo: UN Women/Fikerte Abebe.

FAQs: Economic empowerment

Veronica Grech equal pay illustration

Everything you need to know about pushing for pay equity

Scenes from the municipal market in Tucuru, Guatemala.

Facts and figures: Economic empowerment

gender responsive budgeting explainer

What is gender-responsive budgeting?

Gender bonds: A promising solution to accelerate SDG5

Gender bonds: A promising solution to accelerate SDG5

Gender bonds header image

Gender bonds: A toolkit for the design and issuance of gender bonds in Africa

Global voices of empowerment.

People take part in celebrations to mark the signing of declarations by council of elders in Kenya's Samburu and Mt. Elgon regions to end the practice of female genital mutilation.

Kenya and Zimbabwe invest in preventing violence against women and girls

Participants of the Accelerating Women-Owned Micro Enterprises programme showcase their fashion products in Gaborone, Botswana. Photo: UN Women.

EntreprenHER programme empowers women entrepreneurs in Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa

In the heart of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, escalating violence has become a grim reality, leading to the mass displacement of women and children.

Haitian women and girls empowered by UN Women amid humanitarian crisis

rwanda_christine_wee

Investing in women’s safety and economic empowerment in Rwanda

The Kambuku Cooperative greenhouses are seen in rural Lilongwe, Malawi.

Women farmers in Malawi tackle climate change and gender inequalities through greenhouse programme

XYZ

Grants and training programmes empower women entrepreneurs in Cambodia and Viet Nam

Nunnaree Luangmoi heads the WEE Centre in Chiang Kong District.

Women learn new skills and push back against ethnic and gender prejudice in Thailand

Mariam Al-Gharableh, a Jordanian widow and mother of four, attended an Oasis Centre in the coastal city of Aqaba.

Women rise from poverty and gain economic independence through Oasis Centres in Jordan

Yuliia Zavalniuk is seen at the Ukrainian flower-growing farm Villa Verde. Photo courtesy of Villa Verde

Ukrainian entrepreneur uses flower business to bridge gender gaps during wartime

Agentes se gradúan de un curso de policía con perspectiva de género en Sudáfrica el 1 de diciembre de 2023.

South African women’s group trains police to respond to gender-based violence

24 Feb

Ukrainian refugees launch businesses and build a new community in Moldova

News and media.

UN Women logo

On International Women’s Day, UN Women calls on investing in women as the best solution to face growing crises

collage featuring various women from around the world

1 in every 10 women in the world lives in extreme poverty

Un secretary-general's message on international women's day.

International Women’s Day: What is it and why do we need it?

International Women’s Day is observed on 8 March every year.

International Women’s Day is observed on 8 March every year. Image:  Unsplash/ThisisEngineering RAEng

.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:hover,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:focus,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);} Kate Whiting

A hand holding a looking glass by a lake

.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;color:#2846F8;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{font-size:1.125rem;}} Get involved .chakra .wef-9dduvl{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-9dduvl{font-size:1.125rem;}} with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale

Listen to the article

This article was first published in 2022 and updated.

  • 8 March is International Women’s Day – devoted to celebrating the achievements of women and seeking gender equality.
  • The campaign theme in 2024 is #InspireInclusion , while the official theme of the UN observance of the day is ‘ Invest in women: Accelerate progress ’.
  • It will take another 131 years to reach gender parity, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2023 .

Gender equality is central to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) – and a perennial item on the Secretary-General's annual priority list.

SDG5 calls for the world to " Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls " by 2030.

Empowering women can boost economies and help the peace process, believes António Guterres, but it needs to happen faster.

"We are promoting women's full and equal participation and leadership in all sectors of society, as a matter of urgency," he told the UN General Assembly, outlining the agency's priorities on 7 February 2024.

It will take another 131 years to reach gender parity , according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2023.

The continued fight for women’s rights is marked each year by International Women’s Day (IWD).

What is International Women’s Day and when did it start?

IWD takes place on 8 March every year.

It began life as National Women’s Day in the United States back in February 1909. The following year, at the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, Denmark, women’s rights activist Clara Zetkin called for an international women’s day to give women a greater voice to further their demands for equal rights.

It was unanimously approved by the female attendees from 17 countries, including Finland’s first three women MPs. International Women’s Day was marked for the first time in March 1911 – and the date was fixed as 8 March in 1913. The UN celebrated it for the first time in 1975 and in 1996 it announced its first annual theme: "Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future".

How is the day marked around the world?

International Women’s Day is celebrated as a national holiday by countries across the globe, with women often given flowers and gifts – and there are IWD events in major cities worldwide .

On 8 March 1914, there was a women’s suffrage march in London, calling for women’s right to vote, at which high-profile campaigner Sylvia Pankhurst was arrested.

In 2001, the internationalwomensday.com platform was launched to reignite attention for the day, celebrate women’s achievements and continue to call for gender parity.

On the centenary in 2011, sitting US President Barack Obama called for March to be known as Women’s History Month. He said: “History shows that when women and girls have access to opportunity , societies are more just, economies are more likely to prosper, and governments are more likely to serve the needs of all their people.”

The World Economic Forum has been measuring gender gaps since 2006 in the annual Global Gender Gap Report .

The Global Gender Gap Report tracks progress towards closing gender gaps on a national level. To turn these insights into concrete action and national progress, we have developed the Gender Parity Accelerator model for public private collaboration.

These accelerators have been convened in twelve countries across three regions. Accelerators are established in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico and Panama in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean, Egypt and Jordan in the Middle East and North Africa, and Japan and Kazakhstan in Asia.

All Country Accelerators, along with Knowledge Partner countries demonstrating global leadership in closing gender gaps, are part of a wider ecosystem, the Global Learning Network, that facilitates exchange of insights and experiences through the Forum’s platform.

Have you read?

In these countries CEOs and ministers are working together in a three-year time frame on policies that help to further close the economic gender gaps in their countries. This includes extended parental leave, subsidized childcare and making recruitment, retention and promotion practices more gender inclusive.

If you are a business in one of the Gender Parity Accelerator countries you can join the local membership base.

If you are a business or government in a country where we currently do not have a Gender Parity Accelerator you can reach out to us to explore opportunities for setting one up.

What is the theme of International Women’s Day in 2024?

Each year, there are effectively two different themes: one proposed as a campaign theme by the IWD website, which this year is #InspireInclusion , and the UN's official, which this year is " Invest in women: Accelerate progress ".

UN Women and the UN's Department of Economic and Social Affairs jointly publish an annual update on the progress towards SDG5.

In the latest – Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2023 – they reveal there's an "alarming" $360 billion annual deficit in spending on gender-equality measures.

A gender-focused SDG stimulus package to deliver transformational results for women, girls and societies.

UN Women has outlined areas that need joint action to ensure women are not left behind:

Investing in women: A human rights issue

"Gender equality remains the greatest human rights challenge. Investing in women is a human rights imperative and cornerstone for building inclusive societies. Progress for women benefits us all."

Implementing gender-responsive financing

"Due to conflicts and rising fuel and food prices, recent estimates suggest that 75% of countries will curb public spending by 2025 . Austerity negatively impacts women and crowds out public spending on essential public services and social protection."

Shifting to a green and caring economy

"The current economic system exacerbates poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation , disproportionately affecting women and marginalized groups. Advocates for alternative economic models propose a shift towards a green and caring economy that amplifies women’s voices."

Supporting feminist change-makers

"Feminist organizations are leading efforts to tackle women’s poverty and inequality. However, they are running on empty, receiving a meagre 0.13% of total official development assistance ."

What is the state of gender parity globally?

The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2023 found that, although the global parity score has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, "the overall rate of change has slowed down significantly".

The index benchmarks 146 countries across four key dimensions (Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival and Political Empowerment) and tracks progress towards closing gender gaps over time.

Of the four gaps tracked, Political Empowerment remains the largest, with only 22.1% closed – a 0.1 percentage point increase on 2022.

The gender health gap: It's more than a women’s issue. Here’s why

Why clear job descriptions matter for gender equality, buses are key to fuelling indian women's economic success. here's why, what is the gender pay gap.

The gender gap in Economic Participation and Opportunity remained the second largest of the gaps, with only 60.1% closed so far (up slightly from 58% in 2022). The pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis is having a disproportionate impact on women .

The gender pay gap is the “difference between the average pay of men and women within a particular group or population” according to the Fawcett Society, which campaigns for equal pay in the UK.

Each year, the charity marks Equal Pay Day in the UK, the day of the year at which women stop earning relative to men. In 2023, that date was 22 November.

Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

The Agenda .chakra .wef-n7bacu{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-weight:400;} Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

SEP home page

  • Table of Contents
  • Random Entry
  • Chronological
  • Editorial Information
  • About the SEP
  • Editorial Board
  • How to Cite the SEP
  • Special Characters
  • Advanced Tools
  • Support the SEP
  • PDFs for SEP Friends
  • Make a Donation
  • SEPIA for Libraries
  • Entry Contents

Bibliography

Academic tools.

  • Friends PDF Preview
  • Author and Citation Info
  • Back to Top

Feminist Philosophy

This entry provides an introduction to the feminist philosophy section of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP). Overseen by a board of feminist philosophers, this section primarily takes up feminist philosophy of the twentieth and twenty-first century. It has three subsections of entries (as can be seen in Table of Contents under “feminist philosophy”): (1) approaches to feminist philosophy, (2) feminist interventions in philosophy, and (3) feminist philosophical topics. By “approaches to feminist philosophy” we mean the main philosophical approaches such as analytic, continental, psychoanalytic, pragmatist, and various intersections. We see these as methodologies that can be fruitfully employed to engage philosophically isssues of feminist concern. The second group of entries, feminist interventions in philosophy, includes entries on how feminist philosophers have intervened in and begun to transform traditional philosopical areas such as aesthetics, ethics, the history of philosophy, metaphysics, and political philosophy. Entries in the third group, feminist philosophical topics, take up concepts and matters that traditional philosophy has either overlooked or undertheorized, including autonomy, the body, objectification, sex and gender, and reproduction. In short, this third group of entries shows how feminist philosophers have rendered philosophical previously un-problematized topics, such as the body, class and work, disability, the family, human trafficking, reproduction, the self, sex work, and sexuality. Entries in this third group also show how a particularly feminist lens refashions issues of globalization, human rights, popular culture, race and racism, and science. Following a brief overview of feminism as a political and intellectual movement, we provide an overview of these three parts of the feminist section of the SEP.

In addition to the feminist philosophy section of the SEP, there are also a number of entries on women in the history of philosophy, for example, on Mary Wollstonecraft , Mary Astell , Jane Addams , Rosa Luxemburg , Simone de Beauvoir , Iris Murdoch , and others. Additionally, dozens of other entries throughout the SEP discuss facets of feminist philosophy, including, to name just a handful, the entries on global justice , respect , contemporary Africana philosophy , multiculturalism , privacy , and Latinx philosophy .

  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. What is Feminism?

3. Approaches to Feminism

4. interventions in philosophy, 5. topics in feminism, other internet resources, related entries, 1. what is feminism.

Broadly understood, feminism is both an intellectual commitment and a political movement that seeks an end to gender-based oppression. Motivated by the quest for social justice, feminist inquiry provides a wide range of perspectives on cultural, economic, social, and political phenomena. It identifies and evaluates the many ways that some norms have been used to exclude, marginalize, and oppress people on the basis of gender, as well as how gendered identities have been shaped to conform and uphold the norms of a patriarchal society. In so doing, it tries to understand the roots of a system that has been prevalent in nearly all known places and times. It also explores what a just society would look like.

While less frequently than one would think, throughout history women have rebelled against repressive structures. It was not until the late 19th century that feminism coalesced into a movement. In the mid-1800s the term feminism was still used to refer to “the qualities of females.” After the First International Women’s Conference in Paris in 1892, the term feminism , following the French term féministe , was used regularly in English for a belief in and advocacy of equal rights for women based on the idea of the equality of the sexes. Hence the term feminism in English is rooted in the mobilization for women’s suffrage in Europe and the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

As a term, feminism has many different uses and its meanings are often contested. For example, some writers use the term to refer to a historically specific political movement in the United States and Europe; other writers use it to refer to the belief that there are injustices against women, though there is no consensus on the exact list of these injustices. Some have found it useful, if controversial, to think of the women’s movement in the United States as occurring in “waves.” The wave model has some virtues, but it also tends to overlook a great deal of heterogeneity of thought in any given moment. It works well enough for what is thought of as the first wave, identified as the period from the mid-nineteenth century until the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. This first wave focused on the struggle to achieve basic political rights. According to the wave model, feminism in the United States waned after women achieved voting rights, to be revived in the late 1960s and early 1970s as “second wave” feminism. In this second wave, the model holds, feminists pushed beyond the early quest for political rights to fight for greater equality across the board, e.g., in education, the workplace, and at home. But in actuality, many feminists during this time were focusing on more than equality. Like the first wave, many of the leaders of the second wave of feminism were white women seeking equal rights. But also, as in the first wave, other voices emerged, broadening the movement. The second wave came to include women of different identities, ethnicities, and orientations. In addition to calling for equal political rights, they called for greater equality across the board, e.g., in education, the workplace, and at home. Transformations of feminism beginning in the 1990s have resulted in a “third wave.” Third Wave feminists often critique earlier feminists for their lack of attention to the differences among women due to class, ethnicity, nationality, religion, and race (see Breines 2002; Springer 2002), and emphasize “identity” as a site of gender struggle. (For more information on the “wave” model and each of the “waves,” see the subsection on Waves of Feminism in the Other Internet Resources section.)

Some feminist scholars object to identifying feminism in terms of waves on the grounds that doing so eclipses differences within each wave as well as continuity of feminist resistance to male domination throughout history and across cultures. In other words, feminism is not confined to a few (white) women in the West over the past century or so. Moreover, even considering only relatively recent efforts to resist male domination in Europe and the United States, the emphasis on “First” and “Second” Wave feminism ignores the ongoing resistance to male domination between the 1920s and 1960s and the resistance outside mainstream politics, particularly by women of color and working class women (Cott 1987). The wave model also cannot account for theoretical work taking place between waves, for example, of the tremendous work done by Simone de Beauvoir in her groundbreaking book of 1949, The Second Sex . Because of these many limitiations of the wave model, the feminist section of the SEP makes little use of it.

Although the term feminism has a history in English linked with women’s activism from the late nineteenth century to the present, it is useful to distinguish feminist ideas or beliefs from feminist political movements, for even in periods where there has been no significant political activism around women’s subordination, individuals have been concerned with and theorized about justice for women. So, for example, it makes sense to ask whether Plato was a feminist, given his view that some women should be trained to rule ( Republic , Book V), even though he was an exception in his historical context (see, e.g., Tuana 1994). Overall, feminism can be understood as not only a social movement but also a set of beliefs, concepts, and theories that seek to analyze, diagnose, and identify solutions to the manifold injustices that people suffer on account of gendered norms. Broadly understood, this is feminism as a intellectual movement. The SEP feminist section aims to chronicle and explain the various theories, concepts, and philosophical tools that feminist philosophers have developed.

Much has been made of the methodological differences or “divides” between various philosophical traditions, namely analytic and continental, but also pragmatist and psychoanalytic. But throughout these entries the reader will find a continuity of descriptions on the meaning of feminism, even with the heterogeneity of the philosophical methodologies these entries’ authors employ. The entry on feminist ethics, written by the analytic feminist philosopher Kathryn Norlock, describes that field in a way that is agreeable to almost any feminist philosopher:

Feminist Ethics aims “to understand, criticize, and correct” how gender operates within our moral beliefs and practices (Lindemann 2005, 11) and our methodological approaches to ethical theory. More specifically, feminist ethicists aim to understand, criticize, and correct: (1) the binary view of gender, (2) the privilege historically available to men, and/or (3) the ways that views about gender maintain oppressive social orders or practices that harm others, especially girls and women who historically have been subordinated along gendered dimensions including sexuality and gender-identity. (entry on feminist ethics , introduction)

Likewise, the entry on feminist perspectives on power, written by the critical theorist Amy Allen, proposes the idea that “although any general definition of feminism would no doubt be controversial, it seems undeniable that much work in feminist theory is devoted to the tasks of critiquing gender subordination, analyzing its intersections with other forms of subordination such as racism, heterosexism, and class oppression, and envisioning prospects for individual and collective resistance and emancipation.” (entry on feminist perspectives on power , introduction)

Even with general overall shared commitments about the meaning of feminism, numerous differences among feminist philosophers do show up in the array of arenas outlined in this section of the SEP. Some of these may be due to different methodological approaches (whether, for example, continental or analytic), but others show up because of different ontological commitments (such as the category of woman) and beliefs about what kind of political and moral remedies should be sought.

Nonetheless, over the decades there has been a lot of frustration, perhaps because as philosophers these feminist theorists often want to get to the (one) truth of the matter, for example, what is “a woman”? What is freedom? What is autonomy? Yet so far any search for a unified or unifying theory of feminism has yet to bear fruit. Consider the seemingly unproblematic claim that feminism is a commitment to women’s equal rights. Perhaps it is, but framing it this way comes with its own presuppositions. The first is that feminism is committed to a liberal model of politics. Although most feminists would probably agree that there is some sense of rights on which achieving equal rights for women is a necessary condition for feminism to succeed, most would also argue that this would not be sufficient. This is because women’s oppression under male domination rarely if ever consists solely in depriving women of political and legal rights, but also extends into the structure of our society and the content of our culture, and the workings of languages and how they shape perceptions and permeate our consciousness (e.g., Bartky 1988, Postl 2017). A second presupposition is that there is some clear and universal definition of what it is to be a woman. The SEP entry, Feminist Perspectives on Sex and Gender, gives a rich overview of what is problematic about this supposition. Any attempt to define “woman,” according to Judith Butler, is also an attempt to exclude some from that category. More recently this debate shows up in discussions about nonbinary and trans people. Previously, it showed up in suppositions that the typical subject of feminism was white and middle class. While feminism would be easier to theorize if it were clear who its subject is, any attempt to define it runs into trouble. (see the entry on feminist perspectives on trans issues )

Is there any point, then, in asking what feminism is? Rather than looking for a unified field theory of feminism, perhaps feminism can be identified as an engagement precisely where there are contradictions over questions of freedom, identity, and agency. These contradictions are not just logical ones but also historical ones. For example, the question of women’s political equality to men arose precisely at those historical moments when “all men” came to be deemed as equal (McAfee 2021). During the French Revolution, the French settled the matter by saying that “men” meant men and not women. In the American Revolution, “men” was not so clearly gendered but it was certainly raced as white. Equality becomes an issue precisely where there is a disjunct between what seems to be the case normatively and what is happening empirically. Questions about the category of women arise in the context of political diversity and biological malleability, where peoples of many cultures mingle and sexual or gender identity can be altered. Feminist debates over pornography and sex work become heated in the context, respectively, of a free press and economic precarity. In short, feminist inquiry arises in the context of disagreement and contradiction and it produces new ways of approaching issues and asking questions. Thus, that it lacks a cohesive set of answers may be beside the point.

In sum, “feminism” is an umbrella term for a range of views about injustices against women. There are disagreements among feminists about the nature of justice in general and the nature of sexism, in particular, the specific kinds of injustice or wrong women suffer; and the group who should be the primary focus of feminist efforts. Nonetheless, feminists are committed to bringing about social change to end injustice against women, in particular, injustice against women as women.

2. Feminist Scholarship

Contemporary feminist philosophical scholarship emerged in the 1970s as more women began careers in higher education, including philosophy. As they did so, they also began taking up matters from their own experience for philosophical scrutiny. These scholars were influenced both by feminist movements in their midst as well as by their philosophical training, which generally was anything but feminist. Until about the 1990s, one could not go to graduate school to study “feminist philosophy.” While students and scholars could turn to the writings of Simone de Beauvoir or look back historically to the writings of “first wave” feminists like Mary Wollstonecraft, most of the philosophers writing in the first decades of the emergence of feminist philosophy brought their particular training and expertise to bear on analyzing issues raised by the women’s liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s, such as abortion, affirmative action, equal opportunity, the institutions of marriage, sexuality, and love. Additionally, feminist philosophical scholarship increasingly focused on the very same types of issues taken up by mainstream philosophers.

Feminist philosophical scholarship begins with attention to women, and to limitations on their roles and locations and the ways they were valued or devalued. It developed further by considering gender in less binary terms as well as recognizing that gender is only one fact of the complex interactions among class, race, ability, and sexuality. Feminist scholarship asks how attention to these might transform feminist philosophy itself. From here we move to the realm of the symbolic and how it constructs “the feminine.” How is the feminine instantiated and constructed within the texts of philosophy? What role does it play in forming, either through its absence or its presence, the central concepts of philosophy?

Feminist philosophers brought their philosophical tools to bear on these questions. Since these feminist philosophers employed the philosophical tools they knew best and found most promising, feminist philosophy began to emerge from all the traditions of Western philosophy prevalent at the end of the twentieth century, including analytic, continental, and classical American philosophy. While the thematic focus of their work was often influenced by the topics and questions highlighted by these traditions, the larger shared feminist concerns often create as much commonality as difference. Hence, a given question could be taken up and addressed from an array of views in ways that are sometimes divergent and at other times complementary.

As an historically male discipline, many of the leading philosophical journals and societies did not recognize much feminist scholarship as properly philosophical. In response, feminist scholars began founding their own journals and organizations. The first leading feminist journal, Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy , was founded in 1982 as a venue for feminist philosophical scholarship. It embraced a diversity of methodological approaches in feminist philosophy, publishing work from a variety of traditions. Feminist scholarship in each of these traditions is also advanced and supported though scholarly exchange at various professional societies, including the Society for Women in Philosophy, founded in the United States in 1972. Additionally, the Society for Analytical Feminism, founded in 1991, promotes the study of issues in feminism by methods broadly construed as analytic, to examine the use of analytic methods as applied to feminist issues, and to provide a means by which those interested in analytical feminism can meet and exchange ideas. The journal philo SOPHIA was established in 2005 to promote continental feminist scholarly and pedagogical development. The Society for the Study of Women Philosophers was established in 1987 to promote the study of the contributions of women to the history of philosophy. Similar organizations and journals on many continents continue to advance scholarship in feminist philosophy. Often a feminist philosophical society will publish its own journal, just as the International Network on Feminist Approaches to Bioethics publishes the International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics. While the discipline of philosophy in the West remains predominantly white and male, feminist journals and scholarship continues to proliferate.

Important feminist philosophical work has emerged from all the current major philosophical traditions, including analytic philosophy, continental philosophy, and American pragmatist philosophy. It is also emerging from other new areas of inquiry, such as Latin American thought, which arises out of the context of colonialism. Entries in the SEP under the heading “approaches to feminism” discuss the impact of these traditions and constellations of thought on feminist scholarship. The subsection also addresses how some work, such as psychoanalytic feminism, bridges two or more traditions. The editors of the feminist section of the SEP see these different traditions as a rich array of methodologies rather than “continental divides.” The array reflects a variety of beliefs about what kinds of philosophy are both fruitful and meaningful. The different methodologies bring their own ways of asking and answering questions, along with constructive and critical dialogue with mainstream philosophical views and methods and new topics of inquiry.

As the SEP continues to grow, we anticipate that this subsection on approaches to feminism will expand to address other traditions, including Black feminism. But for now, here are links to entries in this subsection:

  • analytic feminism
  • continental feminism
  • Latin American feminism
  • pragmatist feminism
  • intersections between pragmatist and continental feminism
  • intersections between analytic and continental feminism
  • psychoanalytic feminism

Though not included along with these in the table of contents, another relevant approach can be found in the entry on gender in Confucian philosophy .

All these approaches share a set of feminist commitments and an overarching criticism of institutions, presuppositions, and practices that have historically favored men over women. They also share a general critique of claims to universality and objectivity that ignore male-dominated theories’ own particularity and specificity. Feminist philosophies of almost any philosophical orientation will be much more perspectival, historical, contextual, and focused on lived experience than their non-feminist counterparts. Unlike mainstream philosophers who can seriously consider the philosophical conundrums of brains in a vat, feminist philosophers always start by seeing people as embodied. Feminists have also argued for the reconfiguration of accepted structures and problems of philosophy. For example, feminists have not only rejected the privileging of epistemological concerns over moral and political concerns common to much of philosophy, they have argued that these two areas of concern are inextricably intertwined. Part 2 of the entry on analytic feminism lays out other areas of commonality across these various approaches. For one, feminist philosophers generally agree that philosophy is a powerful tool for, as Ann Garry states in that entry, “understanding ourselves and our relations to each other, to our communities, and to the state; to appreciate the extent to which we are counted as knowers and moral agents; [and] to uncover the assumptions and methods of various bodies of knowledge.” As such, philosophy is also a powerful tool for understanding how gender itself has been constructed, that is, why and to whose benefit it is to construct some people as lesser and less capable than others. Along these lines, feminist philosophers are keenly attuned to male biases at work in the history of philosophy, such as those regarding “the nature of woman” and supposed value neutrality, which on inspection is hardly neutral at all. Claims to universality, feminist philosophers have found, are usually made from a very specific and particular point of view, contrary to their manifest assertions. Another orientation that feminist philosophers generally share is a commitment to normativity and social change; they are never content to analyze things just as they are but instead look for ways to overcome oppressive practices and institutions.

Such questioning of the problems of mainstream approaches to philosophy has often led to feminists using methods and approaches from more than one philosophical tradition. As Ann Garry notes in Part 3 of the entry on analytic feminism (2017), it is not uncommon to find analytic feminists drawing on non-analytic figures such as Beauvoir, Foucault, or Butler; and because of their motivation to communicate with other feminists, they are more motivated than other philosophers “to search for methodological cross-fertilization.” Moreover, feminist philosophers are generally inclined to incorporate the perspectives of all those who have been oppressed.

Even with their common and overlapping orientations, the differences between the various philosophical approaches to feminism are significant, especially in terms of styles of writing, influences, and overall expectations about what philosophy can and should achieve. Analytic feminist philosophy tends to value analysis and argumentation, though anyone trained in philosophy does so as well. Continental feminist theory puts more emphasis on interpretation and deconstruction, and pragmatist feminism values lived experience and exploration. Coming out of a post-Hegelian tradition, both continental and pragmatist philosophers usually suspect that “truth,” whatever that is, emerges and develops historically. They tend to share with Nietzsche the view that truth claims often mask power plays. Yet where continental and pragmatist philosophers are generally wary about notions of truth, analytic feminists tend to argue that the way to “counter sexism and androcentrism is through forming a clear conception of and pursuing truth, logical consistency, objectivity, rationality, justice, and the good.” (Cudd 1996: 20).

These differences and intersections play out in the ways that various feminists engage topics of common concern. One key area of intersection, noted by Georgia Warnke, is the appropriation of psychoanalytic theory, with Anglo-American feminists generally adopting object-relations theories and continental feminists drawing more on Lacan and contemporary French psychoanalytic theory, though this is already beginning to change as it becomes clearer that continental psychoanalytic theory is also interested, via Julia Kristeva and Melanie Klein, in object-relations theory (see the entry on intersections between analytic and continental feminism ). The importance of psychoanalytic approaches is also underscored in Shannon Sullivan’s entry on intersections between pragmatist and continental feminism . Given the importance of psychoanalytic feminism for all three traditions, a separate essay on this approach to feminist theory is included in this section.

No topic is more central to feminist philosophy than sex and gender, but even here many variations on the theme flourish. Where analytic feminism, with its critique of essentialism, holds the sex/gender distinction practically as an article of faith (see the entry on feminist perspectives on sex and gender and Chanter 2009), continental feminists tend to suspect either (1) that even the supposedly purely biological category of sex is itself socially constituted (Butler 1990 and 1993) or (2) that sexual difference itself needs to be valued and theorized (see especially Cixous 1976 and Irigaray 1974).

Despite the variety of different approaches, styles, societies, and orientations, feminist philosophers’ commonalities are greater than their differences. Many will borrow freely from each other and find that other orientations contribute to their own work. Even the differences over sex and gender add to a larger conversation about the impact of culture and society on bodies, experience, and pathways for change.

Philosophers who are feminists have, in their work in traditional fields of study, begun to change those very fields. The Encyclopedia includes a range of entries on how feminist philosophies have intervened in conventional areas of philosophical research, areas in which philosophers often tend to argue that they are operating from a neutral, universal point of view (notable exceptions are pragmatism, poststructuralism, and some phenomenology). Historically, philosophy has claimed that the norm is universal and the feminine is abnormal, that universality is not gendered, but that all things feminine are not universal. Not surprisingly, feminists have pointed out how in fact these supposed neutral enterprises are in fact quite gendered, namely, male gendered. For example, feminists working on environmental philosophy have uncovered how practices disproportionately affect women, children, and people of color. Liberal feminism has shown how supposed universal truths of liberalism are in fact quite biased and particular. Feminist epistemologists have called out “epistemologies of ignorance” that traffic in not knowing. Across the board, in fact, feminist philosophers are uncovering male biases and also pointing to the value of particularity, in general rejecting universality as a norm or goal.

Entries under the heading of feminist interventions include the following:

  • feminist aesthetics
  • feminist bioethics
  • feminist environmental philosophy
  • feminist epistemology and philosophy of science
  • feminist ethics
  • feminist history of philosophy
  • liberal feminism
  • feminist metaphysics
  • feminist moral psychology
  • feminist philosophy of biology
  • feminist philosophy of language
  • feminist philosophy of law
  • feminist philosophy of religion
  • feminist political philosophy
  • feminist social epistemology

Feminist critical attention to philosophical practices has revealed the inadequacy of dominant philosophical tropes as well as the need to turn philosophical attention to things that had previously gone unattended. For example, feminists working from the perspective of women’s lives have been influential in bringing philosophical attention to the phenomenon of care and care-giving (Ruddick 1989; Held 1995, 2007; Hamington 2006), dependency (Kittay 1999), disability (Wilkerson 2002; Carlson 2009), women’s labor (Waring 1999; Delphy 1984; Harley 2007), the devaluation of women’s testimonies (see the entry on feminist epistemology and philosophy of science ), and scientific bias and objectivity (Longino 1990). In doing so they have revealed weaknesses in existing ethical, political, and epistemological theories. More generally, feminists have called for inquiry into what are typically considered “private” practices and personal concerns, such as the family, sexuality, and the body, in order to balance what has seemed to be a masculine pre-occupation with “public” and impersonal matters. Philosophy presupposes interpretive tools for understanding our everyday lives; feminist work in articulating additional dimensions of experience and aspects of our practices is invaluable in demonstrating the bias in existing tools, and in the search for better ones.

Feminist explanations of sexism and accounts of sexist practices also raise issues that are within the domain of traditional philosophical inquiry. For example, in thinking about care, feminists have asked questions about the nature of the self; in thinking about gender, feminists have asked what the relationship is between the natural and the social; in thinking about sexism in science, feminists have asked what should count as knowledge. In some such cases, mainstream philosophical accounts provide useful tools; in other cases, alternative proposals have seemed more promising.

In the sub-entries included under “feminism (topics)” in the Table of Contents to this Encyclopedia , authors survey some of the recent feminist work on a topic, highlighting the issues that are of particular relevance to philosophy. These entries are:

  • feminist perspectives on argumentation
  • feminist perspectives on autonomy
  • feminist perspectives on class and work
  • feminist perspectives on disability
  • feminist perspectives on globalization
  • feminist perspectives on objectification
  • feminist perspectives on power
  • feminist perspectives on rape
  • feminist perspectives on reproduction and the family
  • feminist perspectives on science
  • feminist perspectives on sex and gender
  • feminist perspectives on sex markets
  • feminist perspectives on the body
  • feminist perspectives on the self
  • feminist perspectives on trans issues

See also the entries in the Related Entries section below.

  • Ahmed, Sara, 2006, Queer Phenomenology: Orientations, Objects, Others , Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
  • Alaimo, Stacy and Susan Hekman, 2007, Material Feminisms , Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
  • Alanen, Lily and Charlotte Witt (eds.), 2004, Feminist Reflections on the History of Philosophy , Dordrecht/Boston/London: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
  • Alcoff, Linda Martín, 2005, Visible Identities: Race, Gender, and the Self , New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Allen, Amy, 2008, The Politics of Our Selves: Power, Autonomy, and Gender in Contemporary Critical Theory , New York: Columbia University Press.
  • Alexander, M. Jacqui and Lisa Albrecht(eds.), 1998, The Third Wave: Feminist Perspectives on Racism , New York: Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press.
  • Anderson, Elizabeth S., 1999, “What is the Point of Equality?” Ethics , 109(2): 287–337. doi:10.1086/233897
  • Anzaldúa, Gloria (ed.), 1990, Making Face, Making Soul: Haciendo Caras , San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books.
  • Atherton, Margaret (ed.), 1994, Women Philosophers of the Early Modern Period , Indianapolis: Hackett.
  • Baier, Annette C., 1994, Moral Prejudices: Essays on Ethics , Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Barker, Drucilla and Edith Kuiper (eds.), 2010, Feminist Economics , New York: Routledge.
  • Barrett, Michèle, 1991, The Politics of Truth: From Marx to Foucault , Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
  • Bartky, Sandra Lee, 1988, “Foucault, Femininity, and the Modernization of Patriarchal Power”, in Feminism and Foucault: Reflections on Resistance , Irene Diamond and Lee Quimby (eds), Northeastern University Press, pp. 61–86. Reprinted in in her 1990 Femininity and Domination: Studies in the Phenomenology of Oppression , New York: Routledge, 63–82.
  • Basu, Amrita, 1995, The Challenge of Local Feminisms: Women’s Movements in Global Perspective , Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
  • Battersby, Christine, 2007, The Sublime, Terror and Human Difference , New York: Routledge.
  • Baumgardner, Jennifer and Amy Richards, 2000, Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future , New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
  • Beauvoir, Simone de, 1949, Le Deuxième Sexe , 2 volumes, Paris: Gallimard. Printed in English 1953 as The Second Sex by H.M. Parshley (trans. and ed.), New York: Knopf. Retranslated 2009 by Constance Borde and Sheila Malovany-Chevallier, London: Jonathan Cape.
  • Bell, Linda, 2003, Beyond the Margins: Reflections of a Feminist Philosopher , New York: SUNY Press.
  • Benhabib, Seyla, 1992, Situating the Self: Gender, Community, and Postmodernism in Contemporary Ethics , New York: Routledge.
  • Bergmann, Barbara, 2002, The Economic Emergence of Women , second edition, New York: Palgrave, St. Martin’s Press.
  • Bergoffen, Debra B., 1996, The Philosophy of Simone de Beauvoir: Gendered Phenomenologies, Erotic Generosities , New York: SUNY Press.
  • Breines, Wini, 2002, “What’s Love Got to Do with It? White Women, Black Women, and Feminism in the Movement Years”, Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society , 27(4): 1095–1133. doi:10.1086/339634
  • Butler, Judith, 1990, Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity , New York: Routledge.
  • –––, 1993, Bodies that Matter: On the Discursive Limits of “Sex” , New York: Routledge.
  • Calhoun, Cheshire, 2000, Feminism, the Family, and the Politics of the Closet: Lesbian and Gay Displacement , Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/0199257663.001.0001
  • –––, 1989, “Responsibility and Reproach”. Ethics , 99(2): 389–406. doi:10.1086/293071
  • Campbell, Sue, Letitia Meynell and Susan Sherwin (eds.), 2009, Embodiment and Agency , University Park, PA: Penn State Press.
  • Carlson, Licia, 2009, The Faces of Intellectual Disability: Philosophical Reflections , Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
  • Chanter, Tina (ed.), 2009, Rethinking Sex and Gender , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Cimitile, Maria, 2007, Returning to Irigaray: Feminist Philosophy, Politics, and the Question of Unity , Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
  • Cixous, Hélène, “The Laugh of the Medusa,” translated, Keith Cohen and Paula Cohen, Signs , Summer 1976, pp. 875–893.
  • Code, Lorraine, 2006, Ecological Thinking: The Politics of Epistemic Location , New York: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/0195159438.001.0001
  • –––, 1991, What Can She Know? Feminist Theory and the Construction of Knowledge , Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
  • Cott, Nancy, 1987, The Grounding of Modern Feminism , New Haven: Yale University Press.
  • Collins, Patricia Hill, 1990, Black Feminist Thought , Boston, MA: Unwin Hyman.
  • Crasnow, Sharon L. and Anita M. Superson (eds.), 2012, Out from the Shadows: Analytical Feminist Contributions to Traditional Philosophy , New York: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199855469.001.0001
  • Crenshaw, Kimberlé, 1991, “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color”. Stanford Law Review , 43(6): 1241–1299. doi:10.2307/1229039
  • Crenshaw, Kimberlé, Neil Gotanda, Gary Peller, and Kendall Thomas, 1995, “Introduction”, in Critical Race Theory , Kimberlé Crenshaw, et al. (ed.), New York: The New Press, xiii–xxxii.
  • Crow, Barbara, 2000, Radical Feminism: A Documentary Reader , New York: New York University Press.
  • Cudd, Ann E., 1996, “Analytic Feminism”, in The Encyclopedia of Philosophy Supplement , Donald M. Borchert (ed.), New York: Macmillan Reference, pp. 20–21.
  • –––, 2006, Analyzing Oppression , New York: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/0195187431.001.0001
  • Cudd, Ann E. and Robin O. Andreasen (eds.), 2005, Feminist Theory: A Philosophical Anthology , Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
  • Davis, Angela, 1983, Women, Race and Class , New York: Random House.
  • Davis, Lennard J., 2010, The Disability Studies Reader , third edition, New York: Routledge.
  • Delmar, Rosalind, 1986, “What is Feminism?” Juliet Mitchell and Ann Oakley (eds), What is Feminism? , New York: Pantheon Books. Reprinted in Herrmann and Stewart 1994: 5–28.
  • Delphy, Christine, 1984, Close to Home: A Materialist Analysis of Women’s Oppression , Diane Leonard (trans.), Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press.
  • Deutscher, Penelope, 1997, Yielding Gender: Feminism, Deconstruction, and the History of Philosophy , London: Routledge.
  • Duplessis, Rachel Blau, and Ann Snitow (eds), 1998, The Feminist Memoir Project: Voices from Women’s Liberation , New York: Random House (Crown Publishing).
  • Dutt, Malika, 1998, “Reclaiming a Human Rights Culture: Feminism of Difference and Alliance”, in Talking Visions: Multicultural Feminism in a Transnational Age , Ella Shohat (ed.), Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 225–246.
  • Dykeman, Therese Boos (ed.), 1999, The Neglected Canon: Nine Women Philosophers First to the Twentieth Century , Dordrecht/Boston/London: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
  • Echols, Alice, 1990, Daring to Be Bad: Radical Feminism in America, 1967–75 , Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
  • Engels, Friedrich, 1845 [1972], The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State , New York: International Publishers.
  • Enloe, Cynthia, 2007, Globalization and Militarism: Feminists Make the Link , Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.
  • Farr, Kathryn, 2004, Sex Trafficking: The Global Market in Women and Children , New York: Worth Publishing.
  • Findlen, Barbara, 2001, Listen Up: Voices from the Next Feminist Generation , second edition, Seattle, WA: Seal Press.
  • Fine, Michelle and Adrienne Asch (eds.), 1988, Women with Disabilities: Essays in Psychology, Culture, and Politics , Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
  • Firestone, Shulamith, 1970, The Dialectic of Sex: The Case for Feminist Revolution , New York: Bantam.
  • Folbre, Nancy, 2010, Greed, Lust, and Gender: A History of Economic Ideas , Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Fraser, Nancy, 1989, Unruly Practices: Power, Discourse, and Gender in Contemporary Social Theory , Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
  • Fraser, Nancy and Linda Nicholson, 1990, “Social Criticism without Philosophy: An Encounter Between Feminism and Postmodernism”, in Feminism/Postmodernism , Linda Nicholson (ed.), New York: Routledge.
  • Fricker, Miranda and Jennifer Hornsby, 2000, The Cambridge Companion ot Feminism in Philosophy , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CCOL0521624517
  • Friedan, Betty, 1963, The Feminine Mystique , New York: Norton.
  • Frye, Marilyn, 1983, The Politics of Reality , Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press.
  • Garavaso, Pieranna (ed.), 2018, The Bloomsbury Companion to Analytic Feminism , London: Bloomsbury.
  • Gardner, Catherine Villanueva, 2000, Rediscovering Women Philosophers: Philosophical Genre and the Boundaries of Philosophy , Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
  • Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie, 1997, Extraordinary Bodies: Figuring Physical Disability in American Culture and Literature , New York: Columbia University Press.
  • Garry, Ann, “Analytic Feminism”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = < https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2017/entries/femapproach-analytic/ >.
  • Garry, Ann, Serene J. Khader, and Alison Stone (eds.), 2017, The Routledge Companion to Feminist Philosophy , New York: Routledge.
  • Gould, Carol and Marx Wartofsky (eds.), 1976, Women and Philosophy: Toward a Theory of Liberation , University Park, PA: Penn State Press.
  • Grasswick, Heidi (ed.), 2011, Feminist Epistemology and Philosophy of Science: Power in Knowledge , New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-6835-5
  • Green, Joyce (ed.), 2007, Making Space for Indigenous Feminism , London: Zed Books.
  • Grewal, Inderpal, 1998, “On the New Global Feminism and the Family of Nations: Dilemmas of Transnational Feminist Practice”, in Talking Visions: Multicultural Feminism in a Transnational Age , Ella Shohat (ed.), Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 501–530.
  • Grosz, Elizabeth, 1994, Volatile Bodies: Toward a Corporal Feminism , Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
  • Hall, Kim Q. and Ásta (eds.), 2021, The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Philosophy , New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Hamington, Maurice, 2004, Embodied Care: Jane Addams, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Feminist Ethics , Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
  • –––, 2006, Socializing Care: Feminist Ethics and Public Issues , Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.
  • Hamington, Maurice and Celia Bardwell-Jones (eds.), 2012, Contemporary Pragmatist Feminism , New York: Routledge.
  • Hampton, Jean, 1993, “Feminist Contractarianism”, in Louise M. Antony and Charlotte Witt (eds) A Mind of One’s Own: Feminist Essays on Reason and Objectivity , Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
  • Harding, Sandra, 1986, The Science Question in Feminism , Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
  • Harley, Sharon (ed.) 2007. Women’s Labor in the Global Economy: Speaking in Multiple Voices , New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
  • Haslanger, Sally, 2004, “Oppressions: Racial and Other”, in Racism, Philosophy and Mind: Philosophical Explanations of Racism and Its Implications , Michael Levine and Tamas Pataki (eds), Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
  • –––, 2012, Resisting Reality: Social Construction and Social Critique , Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199892631.001.0001
  • Held, Virginia, 1993, Feminist Morality: Transforming Culture, Society, and Politics , Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • –––, 1995, Justice and Care: Essential Readings in Feminist Ethics , Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
  • –––, 2007, The Ethics of Care: Personal, Political, Global , Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/0195180992.001.0001
  • Heldke, Lisa and Peg O’Connor (eds.), 2004, Oppression, Privilege, and Resistance: Theoretical Perspectives on Racism, Sexism, and Heterosexism , New York: McGraw Hill.
  • Hernandez, Daisy and Bushra Rehman (eds.), 2002, Colonize This! Young Women of Color in Today’s Feminism , Berkeley, CA: Seal Press.
  • Herrmann, Anne C. and Abigail J. Stewart (eds.), 1994, Theorizing Feminism: Parallel Trends in the Humanities and Social Sciences , Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
  • Heyes, Cressida J., 2007, Self-Transformations: Foucault, Ethics, and Normalized Bodies , New York: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195310535.001.0001
  • Heywood, Leslie and Jennifer Drake (eds.), 1997, Third Wave Agenda: Being Feminist, Doing Feminism . Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
  • Hillyer, Barbara, 1993, Feminism and Disability , Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press.
  • Hoagland, Sarah L., 1989, Lesbian Ethics: Toward New Values , Palo Alto, CA: Institute for Lesbian Studies.
  • hooks, bell, 1981, Ain’t I A Woman: Black Women and Feminism , Boston, MA: South End Press.
  • –––, 1984, Feminist Theory from Margin to Center , Boston, MA: South End Press.
  • –––, 1989, Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black , Boston, MA: South End Press.
  • Hurtado, Aída, 1996, The Color of Privilege: Three Blasphemies on Race and Feminism , Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
  • Irigaray, Luce, 1974 [1985], Speculum de l’autre femme , Les Editions de Minuit. Translated as Speculum of the Other Woman , Gillian C. Gill (trans.), Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
  • Jaggar, Alison M., 1983, Feminist Politics and Human Nature , Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.
  • –––, 1994, Controversies within Feminist Social Ethics , Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
  • James, Susan, 1998, “Feminism”, in Edward Craig (ed.), Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy , Vol. 10, London: Routledge, p. 576.
  • Kempadoo, Kamala (ed.), 2005, Trafficking and Prostitution Reconsidered: New Perspectives on Migration, Sex Work, and Human Rights , Boulder, CO: Paradigm Publishers.
  • Kiss, Elizabeth, 1995, “Feminism and Rights”, Dissent , 42(3): 342–347
  • Kittay, Eva Feder, 1999, Love’s Labor: Essays on Women, Equality and Dependency , New York: Routledge.
  • Kofman, Sarah, 1980 [1985], L’énigme de la femme: La femme dans les textes de Freud , Paris: Galilée. Translated as The Enigma of Woman: Women in Freud’s Writings , Catherine Porter (trans.), Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1985.
  • –––, 1989 [1998], Socrate(s) . Translated as Socrates: Fictions of a Philosopher , Catherine Porter (trans.), Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1998.
  • Kourany, Janet, 1998, Philosophy in a Feminist Voice , Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
  • Le Dœuff, Michèle, 1980 [1989], Recherches sur l’imaginaire philosophique , Paris: Payot. Translated as The Philosophical Imaginary , Colin Gordon (trans.), Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1989.
  • Lloyd, Genevieve, 1984, The Man of Reason: ‘Male’ and ‘Female’ in Western Philosophy , Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
  • –––, 2001, Feminism and the History of Philosophy , New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Kymlicka, Will, 1989, Liberalism, Community and Culture , Oxford: Clarendon Press.
  • Longino, Helen, 1990, Science as Social Knowledge , Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
  • Lugones, María, 2003, Pilgrimages/Peregrinajes: Theorizing Coalition against Multiple Oppressions , Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.
  • Mackenzie, Catriona and Natalie Stoljar(eds.), 2000, Relational Autonomy: Feminist perspectives on Autonomy, Agency and the Social Self , Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • MacKinnon, Catharine, 1987, Feminism Unmodified , Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • –––, 1989, Towards a Feminist Theory of the State , Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Mann, Bonnie, 2006, Women’s Liberation and the Sublime: Feminism, Postmodernism, Environment , New York: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/0195187458.001.0001
  • May, Vivian M., 2007, Anna Julia Cooper, Visionary Black Feminist: A Critical Introduction , New York: Routledge.
  • McRuer, Robert and Abby Wilkerson (eds.), 2003, “Desiring Disability: Queer Theory Meets Disability Studies”, Special Issue Gay and Lesbian Quarterly , 9(1–2).
  • McAfee, Noëlle, 2003, Julia Kristeva , New York: Routledge.
  • –––, 2021, Feminism: A Quick Immersion , New York: Tibidabo Publishing, Inc.
  • McWhorter, Ladelle, 2009, Racism and Sexual Oppression in Anglo-America: A Genealogy , Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
  • Millett, Kate, 1970, Sexual Politics , Garden City, NY: Doubleday.
  • Moghadam, Valentine M., 2005, Globalizing Women: Transnational Feminist Networks , Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins.
  • Mohanty, Chandra, Ann Russo, and Lourdes Torres (eds), 1991, Third World Women and the Politics of Feminism , Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
  • Molyneux, Maxine and Nikki Craske (eds.), 2001, Gender and the Politics of Rights and Democracy in Latin America , Basingstoke: Palgrave McMillan.
  • Moody-Adams, Michele, 1997, Fieldwork in Familiar Places: Morality, Culture and Philosophy , Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Moraga, Cherríe, 1983, “From a Long Line of Vendidas: Chicanas and Feminism”, in her Loving in the War Years: Lo que nunca pasó sus labios , Boston, MA: South End Press, pp. 90–144.
  • Moraga, Cherrie and Gloria Anzaldúa (eds), 1981, This Bridge Called My Back: Writings of Radical Women of Color , Watertown, MA: Persephone Press.
  • Oliver, Kelly, 2004, Colonization of Psychic Space: A Psychoanalytic Theory of Oppression , Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
  • Narayan, Uma, 1997, Dislocating Cultures: Identities, Traditions, and Third World Feminism , New York: Routledge.
  • Narayan, Uma and Sandra Harding (eds.), 2000, De-centering the Center: Philosophy for a Multicultural, Postcolonial, and Feminist World , Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
  • Nussbaum, Martha C., 1995, “Human Capabilities, Female Human Beings”, in Women, Culture and Development: A Study of Human Capabilities , Martha Nussbaum and Jonathan Glover (eds), Oxford: Oxford University Press, 61–104.
  • –––, 1999, Sex and Social Justice , Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • O’Brien, Mary, 1979, “Reproducing Marxist Man”, in The Sexism of Social and Political Theory: Women and Reproduction from Plato to Nietzsche , Lorenne M. G. Clark and Lynda Lange (eds), Toronto: Toronto University Press, 99–116. Reprinted in Tuana and Tong 1995: 91–103.
  • O’Connor, Peg, 2008, Morality and Our Complicated Form of Life: Feminist Wittgensteinian Metaethics , University Park, PA: Penn State Press.
  • Okin, Susan Moller, 1979, Women in Western Political Thought , Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
  • –––, 1989, Justice, Gender, and the Family , New York: Basic Books.
  • Ong, Aihwa, 1988, “Colonialism and Modernity: Feminist Re-presentation of Women in Non-Western Societies”. Inscriptions , 3(4): 90. Reprinted in Herrmann and Stewart 1994.
  • Pateman, Carole, 1988, The Sexual Contract , Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press.
  • Postl, Gertrude, 2017, “Language, Writing, and Gender Differences”, in Garry et al. 2017: 293–302.
  • Reagon, Bernice Johnson, 1983, “Coalition Politics: Turning the Century”, in Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology , Barbara Smith (ed.), New York: Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, 356–368.
  • Robinson, Fiona, 1999, Globalizing Care: Ethics, Feminist Theory, and International Affairs , Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
  • Rowe, C., 2012, Plato, Republic , translated, with an introduction and notes, New York: Penguin Books.
  • Rubin, Gayle, 1975, “The Traffic in Women: Notes on the ’Political Economy’ of Sex”, in Towards an Anthropology of Women , Rayna Rapp Reiter (ed.), New York: Monthly Review Press, 157–210.
  • Ruddick, Sara, 1989, Maternal Thinking: Towards a Politics of Peace , Boston: Beacon Press.
  • Salamon, Gayle, 2010, Assuming a Body: Transgender and Rhetorics of Mutuality , New York: Columbia University Press.
  • Scheman, Naomi, 1993, Engenderings: Constructions of Knowledge, Authority, and Privilege , New York: Routledge.
  • Schneir, Miriam, 1972, Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings , New York: Vintage Books.
  • ––– (ed.), 1994, Feminism in Our Time: The Essential Writings, World War II to the Present , New York: Vintage Books.
  • Schott, Robin May, 2003, Discovering Feminist Philosophy , Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
  • Schwartzman, Lisa H., 2006, Challenging Liberalism: Feminism as Political Critique , University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
  • Scott, Joan W., 1988, “Deconstructing Equality-Versus-Difference: Or the Uses of Poststructuralist Theory for Feminism”. Feminist Studies , 14(1): 33–50. doi:10.2307/3177997
  • Seigfried, Charlene Haddock, 1996, Feminism and Pragmatism: Reweaving the Social Fabric , Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • Shrage, Laurie J., 2009, You’ve Changed: Sex Reassignment and Personal Identity , New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Silvers, Anita, David Wasserman, Mary Mahowald, 1999, Disability, Difference, Discrimination: Perspectives on Justice in Bioethics and Public Policy , Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
  • Simpson, J. A. and E. S. C. Weiner (ed.), 1989, Oxford English Dictionary , second edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press. OED Online. Oxford University Press. “feminism, n1” (1851).
  • Snitow, Ann, 1990, “A Gender Diary”, in Conflicts in Feminism , M. Hirsch and E. Fox Keller (eds), New York: Routledge, 9–43.
  • Spelman, Elizabeth, 1988, Inessential Woman: Problems of Exclusion in Feminist Thought , Boston: Beacon Press.
  • Springer, Kimberly, 2002, “Third Wave Black Feminism?” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society , 27(4): 1060–1082. doi:10.1086/339636
  • Stone, Alison, 2005, Luce Irigaray and the Philosophy of Sexual Difference , New York: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511617287
  • Sullivan, Shannon, 2006, Revealing Whiteness: The Unconscious Habits of Racial Privilege , Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
  • Superson, Anita M., 2009, The Moral Skeptic , New York: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195376623.001.0001
  • Tanner, Leslie B. 1970 Voices from Women’s Liberation , New York: New American Library (A Mentor Book).
  • Taylor, Vesta and Leila J. Rupp, 1996, “Lesbian Existence and the Women’s Movement: Researching the ‘Lavender Herring’”, in Feminism and Social Change , Heidi Gottfried (ed.), Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press.
  • Tessman, Lisa, 2005, Burdened Virtues: Virtue Ethics for Liberatory Struggles , New York: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/0195179145.001.0001
  • Tong, Rosemarie, 1993, Feminine and Feminist Ethics , Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
  • Tougas, Cecile T., and Sara Ebenrick (eds.), 2000, Presenting Women Philosophers , Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
  • Tuana, Nancy (ed.), 1992, Woman and the History of Philosophy , New York: Paragon Press.
  • Tuana, Nancy (ed.), 1994, Feminist Interpretations of Plato, University Park: Penn State Press.
  • Tuana, Nancy and Rosemarie Tong (eds), 1995, Feminism and Philosophy , Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
  • 1987, Ancient Women Philosophers, 600 B.C.–500 A.D. , volume 1. doi:10.1007/978-94-009-3497-9
  • 1989, Medieval, Renaissance, and Enlightenment Women Philosophers, 500–1600 , volume 2. doi:10.1007/978-94-009-2551-9
  • 1990, Modern Women Philosophers, 1600–1900 , volume 3. doi:10.1007/978-94-011-3790-4
  • 1994, Contemporary Women Philosophers, 1900–Today , volume 4. doi:10.1007/978-94-011-1114-0
  • Walker, Alice, 1990, “Definition of Womanist”, in Making Face, Making Soul: Haciendo Caras , Gloria Anzaldúa (ed.), San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books, 370.
  • Walker, Margaret Urban, 1998, Moral Understandings: A Feminist Study in Ethics , New York: Routledge.
  • ––– (ed), 1999, Mother Time: Women, Aging, and Ethics , Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.
  • Walker, Rebecca (ed.), 1995, To Be Real: Telling the Truth and Changing the Face of Feminism , New York: Random House (Anchor Books).
  • Ward, Julia, 1996, Feminism and Ancient Philosophy , New York: Routledge.
  • Ware, Cellestine, 1970, Woman Power: The Movement for Women’s Liberation , New York: Tower Publications.
  • Waring, Marilyn, 1999, Counting for Nothing: What Men Value and What Women Are Worth , second edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
  • Weisberg, D. Kelly (ed.) 1993. Feminist Legal Theory: Foundations , Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
  • Wendell, Susan, 1996, The Rejected Body: Feminist Philosophical Reflections on Disability , New York and London: Routledge.
  • Wilkerson, Abby L., 2002, “Disability, Sex Radicalism, and the Problem of Political Agency”. NWSA Journal , 14(3): 33–57. doi:10.1353/nwsa.2003.0018
  • Whisnant, Rebecca, 2010, Global Feminist Ethics , Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
  • Winnubst, Shannon, 2006, Queering Freedom , Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
  • Young, Iris M., 1985 [1990], “Humanism, Gynocentrism and Feminist Politics”, Women’s Studies International Forum , 8(3): 173–183. Reprinted in Young 1990a: 73–91. doi:10.1016/0277-5395(85)90040-8
  • –––, 1990a, Throwing Like a Girl and Other Essays in Feminist Philosophy and Social Theory , Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
  • –––, 1990b, Justice and the Politics of Difference , Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
  • –––, 2011, Responsibility for Justice , Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195392388.001.0001
  • Zophy, Angela Howard, 1990, “Feminism”, in The Handbook of American Women’s History , Angela Howard Zophy and Frances M. Kavenik (eds), New York: Routledge (Garland Reference Library of the Humanities).
How to cite this entry . Preview the PDF version of this entry at the Friends of the SEP Society . Look up topics and thinkers related to this entry at the Internet Philosophy Ontology Project (InPhO). Enhanced bibliography for this entry at PhilPapers , with links to its database.

Resources listed below have been chosen to provide only a springboard into the huge amount of feminist material available on the web. The emphasis here is on general resources useful for doing research in feminist philosophy or interdisciplinary feminist theory, e.g., the links connect to bibliographies and meta-sites, and resources concerning inclusion, exclusion, and feminist diversity. The list is incomplete and will be regularly revised and expanded. Further resources on topics in feminism such as popular culture, reproductive rights, sex work, are available within each sub-entry on that topic.

  • Feminist Theory Website
  • Women and Social Movements in the US: 1600–2000
  • The Path of the Women’s Rights Movement: Detailed Timeline 1848–1997
  • Documents from the Women’s Liberation Movement (Duke Univ. Archives)
  • Documenting Difference: An Illustrated & Annotated Anthology of Documents on Race, Class, Gender & Ethnicity in the United States
  • Race, Gender, and Affirmative Action Resource Page

Associations

  • The Society for Women in Philosophy (SWIP)
  • Association for Feminist Ethics and Social Theory (FEAST)
  • Feminist Epistemology, Metaphysics, Methodology, and Science Studies (FEMMSS) http://femmss.org/
  • Feminist Theory Website (Introduction)
  • philoSOPHIA: A Feminist Society
  • Society for Analytical Feminism
  • The Society for the Study of Women Philosophers

“Waves” of Feminism

  • “Waves of Feminism” by Jo Freeman (1996).
  • Winning the Vote (Western NY Suffragists).
  • Amendments to the US Constitution: 13th, 14th, 15th, 18th, 19th, 21st
  • NOW’s 1966 Statement of Purpose
  • “The Women’s Liberation Movement: Its Origins, Structures, and Ideals” by Jo Freeman (1971).

Feminism and Class

Marxist, socialist, and materialist feminisms.

  • WMST-L discussion of how to define “Marxist feminism” Aug 1994)
  • Marxist/Materialist Feminism (Feminist Theory Website)
  • A Marxist Feminist Critique

Feminist Economics

  • Feminist Economics (Feminist Theory Website)
  • International Association for Feminist Economics
  • International Center for Research on Women

Women and Labor

  • Rights for Working Women
  • United States Department of Labor
  • United States Department of Labor: Audience – Women , a shortcut to information and services the Department of Labor (DOL) offers for women.

Feminism and Disability

  • Center for Research on Women with Disabilities (CROWD)

Feminism, Human Rights, Global Feminism, and Human Trafficking

  • Global Feminism (Feminist Majority Foundation)
  • NOW and Global Feminism
  • Sisterhood is Global Institute
  • Polaris Project
  • Not For Sale Campaign
  • Human Trafficking Search website

Feminism and Race/Ethnicity

General resources.

  • Office of the Gender and Women’s Studies Librarian (U. Wisconsin)
  • Women of Color Web Sites (WMST-L)

African-American/Black Feminisms and Womanism

  • Feminism and Black Womanist Identity Bibliography (Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library)
  • Black Feminist/Womanist Works: A Beginning List (WMST-L)

Asian-American and Asian Feminisms

  • American Women’s History: A Research Guide (Asian-American Women)
  • South Asian Women’s Studies Bibliography (UC Berkeley)
  • Journal of South Asia Women’s Studies

Chicana/Latina Feminisms

  • Chicano/a Latino/a Movimientos

American Indian, Native, Indigenous Feminisms

  • Native American Studies Program (Dartmouth College)

Feminism, Sex, Sexuality, Transgender, and Intersex

  • Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History and Culture (Duke Special Collections)

affirmative action | communitarianism | contractarianism | discrimination | egalitarianism | equality | equality: of opportunity | exploitation | feminist philosophy, approaches: Latin American feminism | feminist philosophy, interventions: epistemology and philosophy of science | feminist philosophy, interventions: ethics | feminist philosophy, interventions: history of philosophy | globalization | homosexuality | identity politics | justice: as a virtue | justice: distributive | legal rights | liberalism | Mill, Harriet Taylor | Mill, John Stuart | multiculturalism | parenthood and procreation | race

Acknowledgments

Over many revisions, thanks go to Ann Garry, Heidi Grasswick, Elizabeth Harman, Elizabeth Hackett, Serene Khader, Ishani Maitra, Ásta Sveinsdóttir, Leslee Mahoney, and Anita Superson.

Copyright © 2023 by Noëlle McAfee < noelle . c . mcafee @ emory . edu > Ann Garry Anita Superson Heidi Grasswick Serene Khader

  • Accessibility

Support SEP

Mirror sites.

View this site from another server:

  • Info about mirror sites

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is copyright © 2024 by The Metaphysics Research Lab , Department of Philosophy, Stanford University

Library of Congress Catalog Data: ISSN 1095-5054

IMAGES

  1. Calaméo

    feminism discussion essay

  2. feminism and difference essay

    feminism discussion essay

  3. Introduction to Feminism

    feminism discussion essay

  4. Margaret Atwood- Feminism Essay Example

    feminism discussion essay

  5. Feminism Essay

    feminism discussion essay

  6. Essay on feminism

    feminism discussion essay

VIDEO

  1. My kind of feminism

  2. Introduction to Feminist Theories Part 1

  3. Feminism in Literature

  4. THE IMPACT OF FEMINISM TOLD BY AN AI

  5. Feminism debate. 'Patriarchy' ~ A bad in itself?

  6. Feminism Into Children?

COMMENTS

  1. Essay On Feminism in English for Students

    500 Words Essay On Feminism. Feminism is a social and political movement that advocates for the rights of women on the grounds of equality of sexes. It does not deny the biological differences between the sexes but demands equality in opportunities. It covers everything from social and political to economic arenas.

  2. Feminism

    Feminism, the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. Although largely originating in the West, feminism is manifested worldwide and is represented by various institutions committed to activity on behalf of women's rights and interests. Learn more about feminism.

  3. 5 Essays About Feminism

    5 Essays About Feminism. On the surface, the definition of feminism is simple. It's the belief that women should be politically, socially, and economically equal to men. Over the years, the movement expanded from a focus on voting rights to worker rights, reproductive rights, gender roles, and beyond. Modern feminism is moving to a more ...

  4. 277 Feminism Topics & Women's Rights Essay Topics

    Best Feminism & Women's Rights Topics. Achievements of Women in Politics: A Global Perspective. Emphasizing Gender Equality in the 21st-Century Workplace. Evolving Representation of Women in Media. Fight for Women's Voting Rights: The Historical Analysis. Intersectionality: Examining its Role in Feminism.

  5. Talks on modern feminism

    Confessions of a bad feminist. When writer Roxane Gay dubbed herself a "bad feminist," she was making a joke, acknowledging that she couldn't possibly live up to the demands for perfection of the feminist movement. But she's realized that the joke rang hollow. In a thoughtful and provocative talk, she asks us to embrace all flavors of feminism ...

  6. Feminist Perspectives on Sex and Gender

    Feminism is said to be the movement to end women's oppression (hooks 2000, 26). ... for a discussion of why gender realism is not necessarily untenable, and Stoljar [2011] for a discussion of Mikkola's critique of Spelman.) 3.1.2 Normativity argument ... Feminist Essays on Reason and Objectivity, L. M. Antony and C. E. Witt (eds.), Boulder ...

  7. PDF NEW FEMINIST ACTIVISM, WAVES AND GENERATIONS

    discussion paper new feminist activism, waves and generations no. 40, april 2021 maxine molyneux, adrija dey, malu a.c. gatto and holly rowden background paper prepared for the 25th anniversary of the beijing platform for action, 64th session of the commission on the status of women

  8. Feminist Perspectives on Power

    Spivak's essay opens with a critical discussion of an exchange betweeen Foucault and Gilles Deleuze, in which they reject the idea of speaking for the oppressed, insisting instead that the oppressed should speak for themselves. ... Throwing Like a Girl And Other Essays in Feminist Philosophy and Social Theory, Bloomington: Indiana University ...

  9. Feminism: An Essay

    Feminism: An Essay By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on April 27, 2016 • ( 6). Feminism as a movement gained potential in the twentieth century, marking the culmination of two centuries' struggle for cultural roles and socio-political rights — a struggle which first found its expression in Mary Wollstonecraft's Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792). The movement gained increasing prominence ...

  10. Feminism & Gender Equality: An Ongoing Debate

    10.1 Introduction. Feminism, throughout history as observed, has been an ongoing and an important movement in society. Whether it is within the realm of politics, personal, economic or socio economic, feminism and gender equality have been at the core of it. For the sake of euphemism, we may call it the "battle of the sexes".

  11. Essay on Feminism for Students: Samples 150, 250 Words

    Essay on Feminism 250 Words. Talking about feminism in a broader sense, then, it is not restricted only to women. It refers to the equality of every sex or gender. Some people feel offended by the concept of feminism as they take it in the wrong way. There is a misconception that only women are feminists. But this is not the case.

  12. Thinking Out Loud About Feminism

    Feminism most often starts with the real-life experience of women, oppressed because an individual, group, or society views them as inferior and then seeks to enforce its ferocity by objectification, control, and domination. We know sexism can take relatively subtle forms, such as lower salaries for women than men.

  13. Feminism Essay: Impact and Importance of Feminism in 500+ Words

    Read this complete Essay on Feminism to know and write about the various nuances of Feminism. Download the complete Feminism Essay PDF. Feminism Essay: History of Feminism. In the 21st century, the stereotype women face in society is a concern for debate. However, the outburst of equality for women can be traced back to the late nineteenth century.

  14. Feminist Ethics

    Feminist Ethics aims "to understand, criticize, and correct" how gender operates within our moral beliefs and practices (Lindemann 2005, 11) and our methodological approaches to ethical theory. More specifically, feminist ethicists aim to understand, criticize, and correct: (1) the binary view of gender, (2) the privilege historically available to men, and/or (3) the ways that views about ...

  15. feminism summary

    feminism, Social movement that seeks equal rights for women.Widespread concern for women's rights dates from the Enlightenment; one of the first important expressions of the movement was Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792). The 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, convened by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and others, called for full legal equality with men ...

  16. Feminist Perspectives on Human Rights

    The second half of the essay looks the feminist debates with regards to women's human rights in three issue areas or contexts: globalization, democratization, and culture. The essay concludes with a discussion of the current challenges with regards to data collection in measuring the achievement of women's human rights.

  17. 489 Feminism Essay Topics: Women's Rights & Gender Equality

    Feminism is the belief in the equality of the sexes in social, economic, and political spheres. This movement originated in the West, but it has become represented worldwide. Throughout human history, women have been confined to domestic labor. Meanwhile, public life has been men's prerogative.

  18. Discussion of Feminist Movements

    This essay, "Discussion of Feminist Movements" is published exclusively on IvyPanda's free essay examples database. You can use it for research and reference purposes to write your own paper. However, you must cite it accordingly. Donate a paper. Removal Request.

  19. Discussion Questions about Feminism

    Discussion Questions about Feminism. Manuel Campos. -. November 19, 2023. Feminism is defined as a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression. Feminism can be seen as both an individual commitment to treating people as equals and a political movement towards restructuring society in fair ways. In order to achieve this ...

  20. Introduction to Feminism, Topics

    Important topics for feminist theory and politics include: the body, class and work, disability, the family, globalization, human rights, popular culture, race and racism, reproduction, science, the self, sex work, and sexuality. Extended discussion of these topics is included in the sub-entries. Introduction.

  21. Mapping a global view of feminism

    In an interview with "Gender News," noted research scholar Dr. Zilka Spahić-Šiljak discusses her views on global feminism and why "we need to bring the discussion about feminism back to the issue of social justice for women and all other marginalized groups.". Šiljak, who was born in Bosnia-Herzegovina, has dedicated the past two ...

  22. Why I Call Myself a Feminist

    Why I Call Myself a Feminist. Daniel Kim '21, a Crimson Associate Editorial Editor, is a Government concentrator in Leverett House. I still vividly remember the first time I openly stated that I ...

  23. 380 Powerful Women's Rights & Feminism Topics [2024]

    The best way to look at it is to divide feminism into three waves: First-wave feminism (the late 1700s - early 1900s). It includes the women's suffrage movement. Second-wave feminism (the 1960s - '70s.) Key points are equal working conditions and feminist political activism. Third-wave feminism (1990s - today).

  24. PDF Discussion Questions for Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

    Overall, what did you think of Roxane Gay's Bad Feminist?? Did you like the book and/or the essay format? Why or why not? 2. On "Bad" Feminism Gay ascribes to what she calls "bad" feminism, wherein people are allowed to be people and make mistakes, learn, and evolve. "I openly embrace the label of bad feminist.

  25. International Women's Day

    This International Women's Day, 8 March 2024, join the United Nations in celebrating under the theme Invest in women: Accelerate progress. The world is facing many crises, ranging from geopolitical conflicts to soaring poverty levels and the escalating impacts of climate change. These challenges can only be addressed by solutions that empower ...

  26. International Women's Day: What is it and why do we need it?

    This article was first published in 2022 and updated. 8 March is International Women's Day - devoted to celebrating the achievements of women and seeking gender equality. The campaign theme in 2024 is #InspireInclusion, while the official theme of the UN observance of the day is ' Invest in women: Accelerate progress '.

  27. Feminist Philosophy

    Given the importance of psychoanalytic feminism for all three traditions, a separate essay on this approach to feminist theory is included in this section. No topic is more central to feminist philosophy than sex and gender, but even here many variations on the theme flourish. ... WMST-L discussion of how to define "Marxist feminism ...