Feminism done right isn’t one-size-fits-all—but it does have a pulse. It listens more than it lectures, expands versus excludes, and holds systems accountable rather than individuals alone.

At its best, feminism is intersectional and understands that gender equity doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It understands that there is a continuum for gender. It is not just male and female. Feminism is shaped by race, class, sexuality, ability, immigration status, geography, and more. Feminism done right doesn’t just advocate for boardroom access, but also for paid family leave, reproductive justice, trans rights, and the dignity of sex workers. Feminism also advocates for tearing down the patriarchy and addressing the systemic racism that permeates everything. Feminism continues to fight for women to have equality under the law, getting the ERA published in our Constitution. It centers those most affected by oppression rather than tokenizing them for optics. It values lived experience alongside academic insight. It makes space for collective power, not just individual success stories. And crucially, it’s self-aware. It asks: Who’s missing from this conversation? Who’s benefiting? Who’s still bearing the cost?

Angela Davis on “Mainstream Feminism” / Bourgeois Feminism