At a glance
Feminism seeks to understand and overcome gender-based oppression and unequal power, advancing women’s rights and broader gender equality.
Core principles
- Equal dignity; freedom from gender discrimination and violence; political participation; bodily autonomy; recognition of unequal power in public and private life.
Origins & development
Movements for education, property rights and suffrage preceded later struggles over work, reproduction and sexuality. Feminist histories vary across regions and colonial contexts.
Economic outlook
Liberal, socialist and other feminisms offer different economic programs. Common concerns include unequal pay, unpaid care, workplace discrimination and access to economic independence.
Society & government
Gender equality informs debates on family, representation and citizenship. Feminists disagree on religion, sexual politics and the relationship between individual choice and structural constraints.
Variations & related traditions
Liberal, socialist, radical, intersectional, postcolonial and religious feminisms differ. Race, class, disability and sexuality can intersect with gendered disadvantage.
Debates & criticisms
Debates concern representation, universal claims, sex and gender, and whose experiences receive priority. Feminism has no single required ownership system or position on enhancement technology.