ABSTRACT
Feminism envisions a world where all human beings and communities experience justice, equality, and freedom. Feminism is a collective movement, not only because feminism emphasizes interdependence and community, but also because feminists recognize they must address all forms of oppression to gain equality among women and people. Feminism challenges sexism and patriarchy. Sexism is the collection of beliefs that privilege and value men over women, male over female, and masculine over feminine. Privileged advocates of feminism, under the influence of racism, classism, and other systems of oppression and without a sophisticated understanding of feminism, have overgeneralized from their own experiences and presumed that what was important to women like them was universal to all women. Feminism’s protective force defends women and people who are being hurt within patriarchy, by sexism, misogyny, and oppressions of every kind. Feminism’s constructive force offers a vision of the future supported by feminist values, a future without oppressions where humanity flourishes.
