Feminism is a word that contains liberation, struggle, questions, protest, and dreams of a new future. However, when we hear this word, the history of European and American movements comes to our eyes. It seems that feminism means the story of Western women who demand for voting rights, movement for sexual freedom, or storm of the #MeToo movement. But this history is not actually the story of all women in the world. The experiences that women in the Global South, women in Bangladesh, India, Africa, Latin America, or the Middle East, go through are completely different. The language, needs, and reality of their struggles often do not match the borrowed narratives of Western feminism. As a result, it becomes necessary to create our own feminism that is based on local experiences and also creates a dialogue with global discussions.

The main structure of Western feminism was created around the question of gender equality within society.  The first wave was the right to vote, the second wave was reproductive rights and sexuality, and the third wave was about real race, sexuality, and class. These are undoubtedly important achievements in human history. 

Imposing Western Gender Concepts

But at the same time, women in South Asia were burdened by child marriage, illiteracy, poverty, colonial exploitation, and the burden of domestic work. African women were struggling with the realities of land grabbing, slavery, and civil war. Latin American women were fighting against military dictatorships, drug trafficking, and political violence. As a result, feminism in the Global South is not captured in the language of Western feminism.

African feminist thinker Oyeronke Oyewumi thus says that Western “gender” concepts have been artificially imposed on traditional African societies. The colonialists not only seized land, but also imposed patriarchal ideas on the social structure.  Latin American philosopher María Lugones has shown with the concept of “coloniality of gender” that colonialism not only controlled politics and economics, but also redefined the concept of gender. Where previously male-female relations had developed differently locally, Western perspectives were introduced and new inequalities were created.

Family's Central Place

The experience of Bangladesh is the same. Here, women are bound by family-centered responsibilities on the one hand, and exploited by the state and economic structures on the other. Women workers in the ready-made garment industry have formed the main basis of the country’s foreign income. Yet at the same time, they are receiving low wages, unsafe working conditions, and sexual harassment. Although the theory of Equal Pay or Sexual Harassment of Western feminism is equal but here the question of survival, livelihood and security comes first.

This is where Global South feminism is different. It is not just a question of women’s rights; it is related to family, religion, society, economy, environment, everything. Western feminism often sees the family as an oppressive or repressive structure. But in South Asian or African societies, the family is the main place of social security. Therefore, feminism here does not want to break up the family, but to build a new family and create a partnership between men and women.

The same applies to religion. Western feminism often interprets religion as inherently anti-women.  But theorist of Islamic Feminism Amina Wadud has explained equality and justice from within the Quran. In South Asia, Sufi philosophy, Baul songs, Lalon’s writings or the literature of Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain have created a unique language for women’s liberation. As a result, Feminism here finds the possibility of liberation within the local culture.

Economics is another major area of Global South Feminism. Here, women are mainly involved in informal labor in garments, agriculture, domestic labor, small businesses in markets, etc. Although their labor is the backbone of the national economy, they are almost invisible. Again, as a result of the climate crisis, women in coastal regions are losing their homes and are being forced into forced migration. As victims of this climate migration, they are double affected on the one hand, environmental damage, and on the other, gender-based discrimination. Therefore, Feminism here cannot be complete without environmental justice.

The Ni Una Menos movement in Latin America shows how Grassroots Feminism developed. This movement began as a protest against femicide and sexual violence against women. It later evolved into a political movement. Feminism here is therefore not just about individual freedom, but also a collective fight against state violence and social injustice.

Another feature of Global South feminism is intersectionality. The idea given by American legal thinker Kimberlé Crenshaw is the most effective here. Women in South Asia are exploited differently not only because they are women, but also because of class, race, religion, and rural-urban divides. Women in Africa are oppressed not only as women, but also because of tribal identity, history of slavery, and economic poverty. Women in Latin America suffer from political violence and the power of drug cartels. As a result, if feminism is not multidimensional, it will not be effective in the Global South.

Here, the Equity vs. Equality debate also needs to be looked at anew.  Western feminism emphasizes equality, that is, giving equal opportunities to men and women. But the Global South needs equity, giving support according to the context. For example, if a mother wants to return to work, childcare is essential. A father needs paternity leave, it’s also essential. That is not equal opportunities, but solutions based on real needs.

Walking A Different Path

Therefore, the feminism of the Global South walks a completely different path. It does not see women as rivals to men; rather, it sees men and women as fellow travelers. It does not want to break up the family; rather, it wants to build it anew. It does not deny religion; rather, it seeks the language of liberation within religion. It demands equal opportunities in the labor market, but at the same time it also fights climate, migration, poverty, and the legacy of colonialism.

Finally, our feminism cannot be built on borrowed narratives.  We will acknowledge the contribution of Western feminism, but we will not accept it as universal. Our feminism will be from our own experiences, from our folk knowledge, from our socio-cultural reality. Real feminism will move forward together with women, men and children not as rivals, but as fellow travelers. This is how Global South feminism will tell the world in its own voice, we will tell our own stories, not borrowed ones.

(The author is an undergraduate student in the Department of International Relations at the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Views expressed are personal. She can be reached at atiaibnat01403@gmail.com).