Voice, Harmony, and Fugue in Global Feminism∗

Abstract

Contemporary feminism is a social force represented by numerous and frequently discordant voices. This article brings together four separate literatures to show points of divergence and convergence in the treatment of gender and women globally. Perspectives of postmodern academics in the North, women-led non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the South, the state in its national and international forms, and globalized economic trends reveal distinct ontological arguments, levels of political conceptualization, and willingness to transform the social relations of gender. Emancipatory gender knowledge presupposes a clear political standpoint; non-formal education rather than formal schooling seems more inclined to respond to the voice that recognizes the manifold disadvantage of women across societies.