The Double-Edged Sword of Feminism

Feminism is a powerful word. It brings to mind images of women marching for equality, holding signs, and raising their voices together. Over the years, feminism has helped break down barriers and open doors for many. But behind the bold movements, there’s another story: the women who feel disconnected from mainstream feminism, whose experiences and voices are often overlooked.

If you sit down with a group of women and ask them what feminism means, you'll hear a range of opinions. For some, it’s about equal pay and representation in the workplace. For others, it’s about the freedom to choose how they live whether that means wearing a hijab, being a stay-at-home mom, or living without fear of violence. Women’s lives are diverse, but too often, the conversation about feminism paints over these differences.

Who Gets to Speak for Women?

It’s a question that’s simmered beneath the surface for decades: whose voices get amplified, and whose get left behind? Mainstream feminism, particularly in the West, has been accused of centring the experiences of white, middle-class women sometimes forgetting that not every woman faces the same hurdles or dreams the same dreams.

Take, for example, at work. The call for “leaning in” and “breaking into positions of power” is inspiring, but it presumes that all women want the same things or even have the same opportunities to begin with. For a single mother working two jobs just to keep the lights on, the idea of “having it all” may sound more like a punchline than a rallying cry. As Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie famously said, “We should all be feminists” but we must also remember that our feminism cannot be one-size-fits-all.

There are countless stories of women who’ve felt excluded by the very movement that claims to champion them. Muslim women have sometimes found themselves side-lined, their choices scrutinised rather than respected. In 2017, the French “burkini ban” sparked outrage a debate framed around women’s liberation, but often without Muslim women themselves at the centre of the discussion. Instead of asking, “How can we support your freedom?” the question was, “Why don’t you want what we want?”

Understanding Intersectionality

The idea of intersectionality, introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw, reminds us that women’s experiences are influenced by more than just gender. Race, class, sexuality, and culture all play significant roles. Yet, even today, the voices of Black women, disabled women, LGBTQ+ women, and women from the Global South are often pushed to the side.

Consider the 2017 Women’s March. While it was a powerful demonstration of unity, it also raised important questions about representation. Some participants felt that the unique struggles of women of color, transgender women, and indigenous women were not fully acknowledged. True unity comes from embracing differences, not ignoring them.

Even celebrities, who often have the loudest platforms, struggle with these issues. Taylor Swift once hesitated to label herself a feminist, worried it might be too limiting. Emma Watson’s #HeForShe campaign was praised for including men in the conversation, but it faced criticism for not fully addressing intersectional concerns.

Then there’s Beyoncé, who famously stood in front of the word “FEMINIST” at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, sparking debate about whether pop culture feminism truly uplifts all women or just those with privilege.

These moments, though messy, have also advanced the conversation. Growth happens through discomfort, and listening to diverse stories helps build a stronger feminism.

The Everyday Woman

For every headline-grabbing debate, there are millions of quieter stories. The stay-at-home mum who feels judged for her choice. The older woman who wonders if feminism still speaks to her, now that her concerns are less about boardrooms and more about health and dignity. The working-class woman who sees “empowerment” as paying the bills, not smashing the patriarchy with a hashtag.

Feminism should be a warm fire, not a gated community. True progress demands that we look beyond the slogans and hashtags, and ask: who’s missing from this table? Whose story hasn’t been told? As author Reni Eddo-Lodge put it, “If feminism isn’t intersectional, it isn’t feminism.”

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Making Feminism for Everyone

If mainstream feminism has sometimes wobbled on the tightrope of inclusivity, then the way forward is not to abandon it but to broaden it. Here are a few ways we can all help:

• Listen first: Before rushing to “empower,” ask what empowerment means to the person in front of you.

• Pass the mic: Use your platform no matter how big or small to amplify voices less often heard.

• Challenge your own assumptions: Remember, what feels liberating to one woman might feel restrictive to another.

• Support grassroots movements: Change often starts from the ground up. Seek out and support local groups that reflect the diversity of women’s experiences.

• Celebrate difference: There is no single way to be a woman, and no single path to liberation.

The next time you see feminism in the headlines or scrolling through your feed, ask yourself: who’s included in this story? Who’s missing? The answers might surprise you and inspire you to widen the circle just a little more.

The Road Ahead

Feminism’s greatest strength has always been its call to lift each other up yet, what use is a ladder if some are never offered a rung? For every barrier we’ve shattered, let’s not forget the quiet pain of those who felt unseen, unheard, or misunderstood along the way. Real progress is not measured by the headlines we make, but by the hands we hold as we move forward together.

Let’s not accept a future where the definition of ‘woman’ is dictated by the loudest voices or the most comfortable shoes. There is no single story, no one way to be brave, no uniform path to dignity. The power of feminism lies in its vastness its ability to embrace women in headscarves and high heels, those in boardrooms and those in fields, women who march and those who simply endure. Each journey, each voice, each lived experience matters.

So, let’s promise ourselves and each other that the movement we build will not just open doors, but stand at the threshold, inviting every woman in, especially the ones who have been waiting in the shadows. Let’s be the generation that listens with compassion, that questions with humility, and that leads with love.

Because true change happens not when the world sees us as one, but when we finally see each other. When we reach out to the woman at our side and say, “Your story belongs here, too.” Only then does feminism become more than a word only then does it become a home.

Let’s make it unforgettable. Let’s make it for everyone.