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The rise of transnational feminism: How does globalization change the fate of women?
In today's globalized context, transnational feminism is emerging as a new paradigm and action movement in feminism that emphasizes how global capitalism affects people of different countries, races, genders, classes, and sexual orientations. Transnational feminists use intersectionality to critique traditional white, classist, and Western feminist ideals and seek to understand how these ideals relate to, for example, labor, markets, and geopolitics.
Transnational feminism is a reaction and rejection of "international" and "global" feminism, arguing that "international" emphasizes the divisions of nation-states, while "global" ignores the majority of women and women of color around the world. Perspectives on gender inequality and globalization.
In this context, transnational feminists argue that women’s experiences are not uniform and that global capitalism creates similar relations of exploitation and inequality, a core concept that allows feminists around the world to find a basis for solidarity. Moreover, transnational feminism further complicates global capitalism and neoliberalism. This means that in action movements around the world, role categories of gender, nation, race, class and sexual orientation are being re-examined to resist patriarchal and capitalist structures.
The academic field of transnational feminism draws inspiration from postcolonial feminist theories that emphasize how colonial legacies have shaped and continue to influence social, economic, and political oppression around the world. In this movement, women’s experiences and identities are seen as diverse and complex, and the different positions and needs of different actors in the face of the impacts of globalization are emphasized. This perspective fosters solidarity on a global scale, encouraging women to collaborate across borders and cultural differences.
Transnational feminism rejects idealized notions of a “global sisterhood” and recognizes the subjugation of women’s movements by, and sometimes complicity in, colonialism, racism, and imperialism.
Since the 1970s, globalization has accelerated, a process that has made countries politically, economically and socially interdependent. The associated free market expansion accompanied by the dominant ideology of neoliberalism, especially in Third World countries, where market liberalization and weakening of social protection brought about by structural adjustment programs, intensified the demand for female labor.
As women become more important in professional jobs, some of their care work is outsourced to women in developing countries. This process not only provides job opportunities for third world women, but also transfers the care responsibilities to these immigrants and makes them unable to take care of their families themselves. While such an environment has enhanced women’s sense of empowerment and reduced the incidence of domestic violence, it has also revealed the contradictions and challenges that globalization brings when it comes to improving women’s economic status.
Transnational feminists emphasize that global capitalism does cause many women to suffer unequal treatment, and hope to combat gender inequality by establishing a global women's resistance network.
Further, the theory of transnational feminism originated from the research of Inderpal Grewal and Caren Kaplan in 1994. They initially proposed the theory in "Scattered Hegemonies: Postmodernity and Transnational Feminist Practices" and pointed out how transnational feminism can help in the global Promote women's political participation and practice within the scope of the With the convening of various important UN women's conferences in the 1990s, women around the world began to have substantive connections and cooperation, and to reveal their own unique challenges and experiences.
However, the transnational feminist movement has not been smooth sailing, and frictions have arisen between different cultural backgrounds and experiences. Western feminism often ignores the specific situations of women in the Third World, which leads to its dilemma when expressing common oppression. As Chandra Talpade Mohanty points out, this approach of analyzing women's experiences through the lens of commonalities often overlooks deeper individualizations and cultural contexts.
At a time when women’s rights are receiving increasing attention, the rise of transnational feminism has had a profound impact on the fate of women around the world. By redefining gender roles and social expectations associated with migration and globalization, transnational feminism connects women’s diverse experiences to global realities and reshapes a more inclusive women’s movement.
As the process of globalization continues to advance, the fate of women is constantly changing and evolving, facing more complex challenges and opportunities. As we reflect on these changes, we should ask ourselves: How can we advance the ideals of transnational feminism and effectively eliminate the structural barriers to gender inequality in the coming mobile and internet age?
