Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a definition of feminism and its relationship to women's movements. It explores the different forms that transnationalism has assumed, including the United Nations international women's conferences, transnational and regional advocacy organizations, and internationally funded non-governmental organizations. The book assesses the different implications of transnational influences on women's movements in the global North and South and authoritarian and democratic settings. It shifts that attention from the international and regional to the national level and discusses the domestic conditions under which women's movements emerge, emphasizing their connection to nationalist and democratic struggles. The book describes women's movements' negotiations with the state, particularly around political representation and economic justice in the neo-liberal era. It explores two burning issues that women's movements have addressed: violence against women and sexual orientation. One important exception is sexual violence which affects all women.