ABSTRACT
Feminism, anchored strongly but not exclusively in the West, and Marxism, particularly with the rise of the Soviet Union, both exercised considerable international influence on gender relations from the early 20th century onward. Their role was supplemented, mainly after World War II, with the rise of the global human rights movement, and efforts by the United Nations and International Non-Governmental Organizations to improve the status of women. These important new currents did not always coincide, and feminism itself changed noticeably by the 1960s with the rise of “second-wave” demands. Marxist leaders attacked traditional gender relations but did not always place gender reform at the forefront. After tracing these new global influences and their relationship, the chapter explores developments in China and Africa, where internal changes—such as massive industrialization in China’s case—and the new international currents combined to introduce significant change.
