Third-world feminism

Although women from the so-called third world have always been engaged in the feminism movement, some criticise mainstream Western feminism on the grounds that it is ethnocentric and does not take into account the unique experiences of women from third world countries or the existence of feminism(s) indigenous to third world countries.

Third world women accuse mainstream Western feminists of looking at women's experiences as homogeneous, based on the perspectives of middle-class white Western women. According to Mohanty, third world women feel mainstream feminism bases its understanding of women on "internal racism, classism and homophobia".

Issues important for feminists

Most modern feminist political activists commonly campaign on issues such as reproductive rights, including the right to safe, legal abortion, access to contraception and quality prenatal care, violence within a domestic partnership, maternity leave, equal pay, sexual harassment, street harassment, discrimination and rape.

Many feminists today argue that feminism is a grass-roots movement that seeks to cross boundaries based on social class, race, culture and religion. They also argue that an effective feminist movement should be culturally specific and address issues relevant to the women of the society in question such as female genital cutting in Africa and the Middle East and the "glass ceiling" issue in developed economies. They also debate the extent to which certain issues such as rape, incest and mothering are universal. Themes explored in feminism include patriarchy, stereotyping, sexual objectification and oppression