Feminist glossary

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This is a glossary of the main concepts, terms and neologisms in feminism. If you are a TERF, however, you're at the wrong place: in that case, please visit the TERF glossary instead.

Feminism

The theory holding that men and women should have equal rights socially, politically and economically, as well as a range of political and social movements geared towards achieving this equality.

Anarcha-feminism

Feminism melded with anarchism, seeing the way to gender equality as being rooted in the dismantling of hierarchical structures in society. One anarcha-feminist in particular, the Chinese activist He-Yin Zhen, explained it as being that the elevation of some women, or other members of the marginalized classes, to the elevation of the ruling classes, only means that some previously marginalized people are now part of the subjugating classes. Notably, in He-Yin's view, other women or marginalized people are still oppressed, even if they gain some token "representation" in the ruling classes.^[1] Also called anarcho-feminism.

Black feminism

Feminism focused on the representation or condition of black women.

Chicana feminism

A movement representing Chicana and Latina women. Also known as Xicanisma.

Ecofeminism

A joining of feminism with ecological concerns based on a perceived connection between the causes of the subjugation of women and of the environment.

Indigenous feminism

Feminism combined with concerns about indigenous sovereignty, focused on decolonization and the empowering of indigenous women.

Individualist feminism

Feminism holding that gender equality can be achieved through equal rights for all individuals without respect to gender.

More often than not, this is a euphemism for libertarian anti-feminists who want to co-opt the label in order to prop up their oftentimes reactionary criticisms of feminism.

This is the term you go for when you want to pimp your "egalitarian" cred but not look pretentious while doing so.

Intersectional feminism

Feminism concerned with the ways in which the type of oppression experienced by women is affected by their other identities, such as ethnicity, sexuality, transgender status etc.

Lesbian feminism

A current of feminism advocating that women can choose their sexual orientation, and therefore should direct their energies toward other women rather than men. They see lesbianism as the practical application of feminism.

Liberal feminism

Feminism encouraging women to achieve and maintain their own equality through their own actions and through campaigning for political and legal reform. In a sense, the polar opposite of radical feminism. Radical feminists may accuse other feminists of being a "liberal feminist" (or "libfem") just by virtue of not being a radical feminist, despite the fact there are many schools of feminism.

Lipstick feminism

Lipstick feminism can be seen as a reaction to the common prejudice that feminists are ugly and hate sex. They embrace, among other things, the idea that wearing make-up and suggestive clothing can be empowering for women.

Mainstream feminism

Feminism as promoted to and accepted by relatively large numbers of people. In recent years, it has come to mean fourth-wave feminism as promoted through celebrities and through popular feminist blogs like Everyday Feminism or Feministing.

Postmodern feminism

Feminism intertwined with postmodern theory and ideals, usually seeing gender and ideas of the feminine as constructs of language. A conscious departure from what is perceived as the "modernist" polarity of liberal vs. radical feminism.

Radical feminism

Feminism based on the idea that an inherently patriarchal society and its institutions are the foundation of women's oppression and must be radically overhauled to achieve freedom and equality. To some extent, the term has been hijacked by nominally feminist groups and individuals with anti-sex work and anti-trans views, who use "radical feminist" as a political euphemism in a similar manner to "gender-critical".

Separatist feminism

A type of radical feminism holding that feminists should completely avoid all forms of contact with men. In a sense, the extreme endpoint of lesbian feminism, and logical counterpoint of the MGTOW movement in the manosphere.

Sex worker-exclusionary radical feminism

Radical feminism hostile to and exclusionary of sex workers, seeing their work as colluding with the oppression of women. Adherents are called SWERFs for short.

Trans-exclusionary radical feminism

Radical feminism that excludes transgender women and does not see them as real women. Adherents are referred to as TERFs.

Socialist feminism

A current of feminism holding that patriarchy intersects with capitalism, and that gender equality should be achieved through ending both the economic and cultural sources of oppression.

Transfeminism

Feminism emphasizing the liberation of transgender women and challenging cissexism.

White feminism

Feminism that does not acknowledge the ways in which non-white women may experience sexism differently to white women. It is used to criticize white feminist women who are perceived to be racist. Usually a derogatory term.

Womanism

A social theory geared toward the representation of African-American women. Coined by Alice Walker.

Women of color feminism

Feminism focused on the concerns of women of color.

Waves of feminism

Periods of activity in feminist history.

First-wave feminism

The feminist movement encompassing the 19^th and early 20^th century, focussed primarily on women's right to vote. The same period also saw women gain the right to education, including a university degree, and as a result to pursue professions such as medicine, and the acceptance of women as legal persons able to own property, etc.

Second-wave feminism

The period of feminism beginning in the 1960s, working towards equal rights for women in other areas, such as equal pay. This period included the push for an Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution. It also saw greater reproductive rights including legalization of abortion in the US and UK.

Third-wave feminism

Beginning in the 1990s, with a focus on individual identity and increasing the inclusiveness of feminism through intersectional theory, in order to represent the unique perspectives of women from a wide variety of demographics, such as women of color and LGBT women. It often focused on individualism and self-expression (e.g. riot grrl), and generally aimed to be less anti-sex and anti-fun than earlier generations.^[2]

Fourth-wave feminism

The most recent wave, beginning in about 2012 and concerned primarily with combating cyberbullying, sexual harassment, and violence against women.

Sexism

Sexism is discrimination based on a person's gender or sex.

Benevolent sexism

Superficially favorable attitudes, words and actions toward women which are actually based on sexist beliefs.

Bimisogyny

(Niche term) Discrimination against and fetishization, hatred, and objectification of bisexual women.

Hijabophobia

Discrimination against and fetishization, hatred and objectification of people who wear the hijab.

Hipster sexism

Sexism hidden behind a paradox, such as making a sexist remark but quickly claiming to merely jest. The sexist, well aware of how sexist their remark is, nonetheless says it whilst claiming to not be sexist.^[3]

Hostile sexism

Sexism as expressed by overt antagonism towards women.

Institutionalized sexism

Sexism against women upheld by society and its institutions.

Internalized misogyny

Misogynic attitudes and behaviours displayed by a woman.

Internalized sexism

Sexist attitudes toward women as internalized by a woman, manifesting as part of her self-concept.

Lesbophobia

Discrimination against and fetishization, hatred and objectification of lesbian people.

Male chauvinism

The attitude that men are categorically superior to women, as held by a man.

Misandry

Hatred of men.

Misogynoir

Hatred of and discrimination against black women; an intersection of misogyny and racism.

Misogyny

Hatred of women.

Neosexism

The patently erroneous belief that all genders reached equity, and that feminism successfully eradicated discrimination based upon gender identity.

Occupational sexism

Discrimination against and fetishization, hatred and objectification of someone's gender in a place of employment/occupation.

Transmisogynoir

Discrimination against and fetishization, hatred, and objectification of Black trans women.

Transmisogyny

Hatred of and discrimination against transgender women; an intersection of misogyny and transphobia.

Sex- and body-related concepts

Beauty duty

Expectations placed on women to look conventionally attractive.

Bodily autonomy

The principle of having control over one's own body. Relevant to discussions about reproductive justice.

Body positivity

The advocacy of loving one's own body exactly as it is.

Himpathy

Public sympathy for powerful men accused of sexual assault, usually with attempts to justify his actions or argue that he shouldn't be punished. Coined by philosopher and academic Kate Manne.^[4]

Lactivism

Women's activism to remove stigma from breastfeeding in public.

Male gaze

The depiction of women from a masculine point of view as sexualized objects. Coined by film studies academic Laura Mulvey in the 1970s, based on a feminist reading of Freud and Lacan; Mulvey noted that much film and media is structured for a heterosexual male viewer looking at a woman presented as a passive object of desire. The concept has now moved beyond post-structuralist academic circles to discussions particularly of visual media and literature, where female characters (even in kids' movies) are routinely sexualized with costume, makeup, positioning, lighting, photography, etc, all set up for male pleasure in quite a different way to male characters.^[5][6] More recently there has also been work on the homoerotic male gaze, men looking at men.^[7]

No means no

An anti-rape slogan emphasizing consent.

Pro-choice

The stance advocating for a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy if she chooses.

Rape

A crime broadly defined as any sex act with someone who has not consented to it.

Rape culture

The normalization and pervasiveness of rape in society as a result of prevailing attitudes towards gender and sexuality.

Reproductive justice

A woman's freedom to make her own decisions regarding reproduction and pregnancy.

Sex-positivity

A positive attitude toward and valuing of sexual freedom, sexual identities and consent.

Sex strike

The withholding of sex from one's partner as a form of boycott or protest, with the aim of achieving a certain goal, such as ending war or violence. Perhaps the most famous example of this would be the ancient Greek play Lysistrata, wherein the women of Greece refuse to have sex with their husbands until their husbands stop fighting in the Peloponnesian War.^[8]

Sexual consent

The expression of uncoerced agreement to participate in sexual activity.

Sexual harassment

Unwanted sexual advances in a workplace or other professional situation where negative repercussions could result from refusal.

Sexual objectification

The treatment of a person as nothing more than a vehicle for one's own desire.

Slut-shaming

The shaming of a woman or girl for being or feeling sexual or having sexual partners.

SlutWalk

An ongoing trans-national movement calling for an end to rape culture and victim blaming.

Topfreedom

A movement seeking to remove legal prohibition and social stigma from women going topless in public.

Yes means yes

An extension of No means no, further stipulating that sexual consent is only valid if expressed explicitly.

Law- and work-related concepts

Androcracy

Government in which the rulers are men, i.e., a patriarchal government.

Career woman

A woman who considers her job, and success in her work, to be important in her life. This phrase is somewhat outdated, and can carry sexist and derogatory connotations.

Displaced homemaker

Someone who was previously a homemaker/stay-at-home parent, but no longer has financial support from a spouse or partner; leaving them unemployed or underemployed and unable to support their family.

Double burden

The workload of someone who has to earn a living and perform unpaid domestic duties in the home.

Double day

The extended working day associated with a double burden.

Emotional labor

Term coined by Arlie Hochschild in 1983 to refer to the need for women to keep smiling and present a cheerful countenance, especially in service jobs, while men are more allowed to be grumpy, cold, or neutral in workplaces. Today the term has been expanded to refer to a wide range of soft skills, life management, and domestic tasks.^[9]

Fatherhood bonus

Advantages given to working fathers, who are often preferred for promotions and higher pay. By contrast, working mothers face a motherhood penalty.

Frozen middle

The tendency for someone's career to stall upon reaching middle management, making progression painfully slow or impossible. This is particularly common for women and people of color.

Gender-equality paradox

An observed paradox whereby the level of gender equality in a country is in inverse proportion to the number of women studying/working in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.)

Gender pay gap

The difference between the average earnings of women and men.

Glass ceiling

A metaphor to describe barriers that stop even the most high-achieving women from rising to the level of power enjoyed by their male counterparts.

Bamboo ceiling

The glass ceiling concept as applied specifically to Asian or Asian-American people, particularly women.

Brass ceiling

The glass ceiling concept as applied to women in law and military professions.

Celluloid ceiling

The glass ceiling concept as applied to women in the movie and TV industries.

Second glass ceiling

This term has been used for two different variations of the glass ceiling concept:

• Barriers that prevent female entrepreneurs or small business owners from raising capital.^[10]
• Barriers that prevent women staying in their careers until retirement age; such as menopause, poor health, structural inequality, and caring responsibilities.^[11]

Stained glass ceiling

The glass ceiling concept as applied to women within religious leadership.

Glass cliff

The phenomenon of women being more likely to be promoted to key leadership roles when there is a high risk of failure, such as during an economic downturn or when a company is struggling.

Glass door

A metaphor to describe barriers that prevent women from entering male-dominated fields of work.

Glass escalator

The phenomenon of men who enter traditionally female-dominated fields of work being quickly promoted over the women.

Leaky pipeline

A metaphor to describe how, in male-dominated fields such as tech, far more women enter than ultimately emerge as leaders (like water leaking out of a pipe along the way.)

Marriage bar

The practice of refusing to hire married women, or requiring that female staff quit their jobs upon marriage.

Maternal wall

A metaphor to describe discrimination that mothers encounter in the workplace or when looking for work.

Mental load

The cognitive stress associated with running a household.

Mommy tax

The phenomenon of mothers earning less than women without children, amounting to a financial penalty for being a mother.

Mommy track

The phenomenon of mothers being placed on a career path that allows them to spend more time with their children, but prevents advancement.

Motherhood penalty

Disadvantages that mothers face in the workplace; such as lower pay, difficulty in getting hired, being perceived as less reliable, and unpaid maternity leave.

Nineteenth Amendment

The 19^th amendment to the United States Constitution, granting women's suffrage in 1920.

Occupational segregation

The separation of people of different demographic characteristics — usually men and women — into different types of working roles within the workplace.

On-ramps / off-ramps

A theory that over the course of a lifetime, people will encounter opportunities to join or re-enter the workforce (on-ramps) or to leave and quit work (off-ramps.) These terms are sometimes used in discussion of women facing difficulty in finding work again after taking time out to care for children or relatives.

Pink-collar worker

Someone who works in care-oriented professions, or in any field traditionally associated with women.

Pink ghetto

A job, workplace, or field of work dominated by women. The term typically indicates that the work is menial, poorly paid, or does not offer the same opportunities as male-dominated work.

Pink tax

This term has two separate, but related meanings;

• The phenomenon of higher prices being imposed on products and services that are aimed at women/girls.
• A synonym for the tampon tax.

Pregnancy bar

The practice of dismissing pregnant employees, or refusing to hire those perceived as a "risk" for pregnancy (thus taking maternity leave and inconveniencing the company.)

Second-generation gender bias

Indirect gender discrimination in the workplace, caused by policies being made with only one gender (usually men) in mind.

Second shift

A synonym for double day.

Sticky floor

A metaphor to describe barriers that keep women "stuck" to the lowest level of the career ladder. It is related to the concept of the glass ceiling.

Tampon tax

Sales taxes placed on menstrual products, meaning they are classed as luxury or discretionary goods, whereas other basic hygiene products are considered essential and therefore not subject to tax.

Title IX

A law in the United States, ratified in 1972, protecting equal opportunity for women in sports, as well as in public education. Initially the focus was on ensuring women's college sports received the same funding as men's, but more recently it has been a focus of Obama-era attempts to combat sexual harassment and sexual violence, and in the 2010s trans rights.^[12]

Women's suffrage

The right of women to vote in elections.

Other feminist concepts

Androcentrism

The centering and normalization of men and men's perspectives, to the exclusion of women and non-binary people.

Antifeminism

Opposition to feminism and its goals.

Bechdel test

An imprecise gauge of the presence of women in media, based on the proportion of works that feature two named women who converse about something other than a man. Named for Alison Bechdel.

Mako Mori test

A variation on the Bechdel test, gauging the proportion of works that feature a named woman who has her own narrative arc that does not exist to support the narrative arc of a male character.

Brocialist

A portmanteau of "bro" and "socialist", a male who exhibits socialist or progressive ideology but still manages to be a sexist.^[13]

Cinderella complex

A phrase coined by feminist author Collette Dowling to describe women who have an unconscious fear of independence and desire to be taken care of.

Foresister

A feminist of a previous generation.

Gender neutrality

The principle of avoiding letting a person's gender affect their treatment or the roles relegated to them.

Gender performativity

A theory produced by feminist Judith Butler, holding that people construct and alter gender roles by causing the actions they perform to become associated with their own gender.

Gender-neutral language

Language and words intended to avoid bias towards one gender.

Herstory

A neologism referring to the presentation of history from a feminist perspective.

Heteropatriarchy

Related to patriarchy; the organization of society in such a way that heterosexuality and cisgender men are favored and given more institutional power than women and LGBT demographics.

Madonna-whore complex

A theory devised by Sigmund Freud of a tendency among men to divide women into a binary of "good", pure, chaste women (Madonnas) and "bad", sexually active women (whores).

Male privilege

The idea that men in society have unearned benefits and privileges not available to women simply by virtue of being men.

Malestream

The idea that mainstream social science findings are biased towards a masculine perspective, which is assumed to be applicable to women as well.

Men's rights movement

An antifeminist movement based on the belief that men, not women, are the real victims of societal discrimination and oppression. Adherents usually assert that feminism has overshot its mark and harmed men.

Patriarchy

The organization of society in such a way that men hold more institutional power than women.

The personal is political

A rallying cry from second-wave feminism, opining that women's personal experiences reflect and are caused by larger political and patriarchal structures.

Phallocentrism

A figurative synonym for androcentrism.

Postfeminism

Any movement reacting to any of the waves of feminism, working to either build on it, address perceived shortcomings, or oppose its continuation.

Pro Feminism

Support of feminism by people who are not deemed to be or do not identify as part of feminism; this term is sometimes used for men, in which case it is the inverse of antifeminist men.

Protofeminism

Fundamentally feminist ideas appearing in a time period before the onset of the feminist movement.

Purplewashing

Presenting an idea or action as feminist while concealing its antifeminist aspects. Is oftentimes used by critics of pornography and sex work as a means of calling out the more oppressive elements of sex-positivity.

Sisterhood

The concept of unity between all women as sharing a universal experience; an important term in second-wave feminism.

Straw feminism

Deliberate misrepresentations of feminism with the straw man fallacy.

Toxic masculinity

Dysfunctionally excessive adherence to stereotypical male gender roles such as aggression, domination, and repression of emotions.

Trans inclusivity

The inclusion of transgender women in feminist discussions and in safe spaces.

Triple oppression

The early 20^th century theory that the three main oppressions faced by black women — racism, sexism, and classism — are connected and must be overcome simultaneously. Somewhat of a precursor to intersectionality.

Women of color

An umbrella term encompassing all non-white women, including those of African, Asian, Latin or Native American descent.

Women-only space

An area where only women are allowed, serving as a space where women can be away from men.

Women's studies

An academic field encompassing study of women and the relationship between gender and politics.

Womon; womxn; womyn

An alternative spelling of woman/women, coined in order to exclude the word "man". Some forms, notably womyn and wombyn, have been appropriated by TERFs as a euphemism for their views.

Gender-identity-related terms

Biological sex

The state of being male, female, intersex or other as defined by physical markers . Biological sex may refer to several different things, including anatomical sex (most commonly), gonadal sex, hormonal sex or chromosomal sex. The term has, on occasions, been co-opted by transphobic movements, but its use is not limited to hate groups.

Anatomical sex

Anatomical sex is defined as the state of being male, female, intersex or otherwise as defined solely by the sex organs. Used by some, it is a variation on biological sex which eliminates the possibility of ambiguity.

Cisgender

Identifying as the same gender as the one assigned at birth.

Cissexism

Transphobia as normalized by social systems.

Gender

Any conceptualization of the sociological and behavioural characteristics traditionally associated with a particular biological sex. This term may also refer to gender identity, gender expression or gender role. "Woman" and "man" are the genders traditionally associated with the biological sexes of "female" and "male" respectively.

Gender binary

The classification of gender into two mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive categories of man and woman, thus excluding people who are nonbinary, gender fluid etc.

Gender-critical

A political self-identifying euphemism used by trans-exclusionary radical feminists.

Gender essentialism

The theory that gender is an externally-measurable attribute tied to biological sex, regardless of self-identity.

Gender expression

One's external presentation and communication of masculine, feminine or other gender through behaviour, dress, mannerisms, personality etc.

Gender identity

The subjective sense of self as being a man, a woman, somewhere in-between or other.

Gender role

A socially-imposed role of being a man, woman or other gender based on one's perceived sex, along with the behaviours and attitudes that are traditionally considered socially acceptable or appropriate for this role.

Transfeminism

Transgender-inclusive feminism; the opposite of TERF.

Transgender

An umbrella term encompassing all individuals who identify as a gender other than the one assigned at birth.

Transphobia

Discrimination against transgender people.

Womyn-born womyn

A cisgender woman. This political term is primarily used in the context of trans-exclusionary radical feminism, encompassing only women who were assigned female at birth and thus excluding transgender women.

Relevant social justice concepts

Atheism Plus

A social movement encouraging progressive atheists to embrace feminism and other social justice issues.

Consciousness raising

Activism aiming to raise the population's awareness of social inequality.

Intersectionality

A theoretical framework which studies how individuals experience privilege and oppression differently according to their combination of different social identities, such as ethnicity, gender, sexuality etc.

Kyriarchy

The concept of a system of interconnected oppressions of different minority groups, in which a person may be privileged for some things (such as being white, and cisgender) but also marginalized for other things (such as being disabled, and gay). Related to intersectionality.

Microaggression

Words or actions regarded as relatively subtle and usually unintentional discrimination or bigotry towards a marginalized group.

Oppression

The unjust domination and subjugation of a demographic of people.

Social justice

Movements to advocate for the poor or members of other marginalized demographics.

Trigger

Anything that causes someone to relive a traumatic experience.

Trigger warning

A caution that the material lying ahead may contain triggers for people who have been through trauma.

Internet neologisms, portmanteaus and abbreviations

Broflake

A derogatory term for a (usually white, heterosexual and conservative) man who is easily offended by advocacy for marginalized demographics.

Bropriation

(Of a man) The stealing of a woman's idea to present as one's own without giving due credit.

Feminazi

A derogatory term, often used in alt-right circles, for feminists who are perceived to be either sexist against men, dare to say something the alt-right doesn't like, or who speak out about topics not believed to be important or real, eg. sexism in the media, rape culture, gender pay gap, etc. Some may also use the term "femistasi".

Libfem

Liberal feminism or a liberal feminist.

Mansplaining

(Of a man) Explaining to a woman something related to her own direct experiences in a way that condescendingly assumes superior knowledge.

Manspreading

The occupying of an undue amount of space on public transportation (e.g., taking up more than one seat) by a man spreading his legs wide.

Manterrupting

(Of a man) Interrupting and speaking over a woman, while allowing other men present to speak freely.

Not all men

A defensive response based on a misinterpretation of complaints about sexism as generalizations of all men. The phrase has become a popular antifeminist hashtag.

Radfem

Radical feminism or a radical feminist.

SWERF

A sex worker-exclusionary radical feminist.

TERF

A trans-exclusionary radical feminist.

Woke

Educated and aware of social justice issues. Also, this term has been appropriated by the alt-right, as well as by more mainstream critics.

Feminist eponyms

Beauvoirian

Relating to French feminist and existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986).

Bloomerism

An early form of feminism, named for American 19^th century women's rights activist Amelia Bloomer (1818–1894).

Butlerian

Pertaining to American feminist and gender theorist Judith Butler (1956–).

Dworkinian

Relating to American radical feminist Andrea Dworkin (1946–2005).

Dworkinite

A supporter of Andrea Dworkin and her philosophy.

Friedanian

Relating to American feminist writer and activist Betty Friedan (1921–2006).

Gilmanian

Relating to American feminist writer and sociologist Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935).

Hooksian

Relating to American feminist writer bell hooks (1952–2021).

Paglian

Relating to American feminist social critic Camille Paglia (1947–).

Richian

Relating to American radical feminist essayist Adrienne Rich (1929–2012).

Showalterian

Relating to American feminist literary critic Elaine Showalter (1941–).

Wittigian

Relating to French feminist author Monique Wittig (1935–2003).

Wollstonecraftian

Relating to English protofeminist author Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797).

See also

• Feminism
• LGBTQ orientation glossary
• MRA glossary
• Transgender glossary

References