Despite significant progress, modern Western feminism faces challenges that have often been overlooked. In the late 19th century, first-wave feminism focused on securing fundamental rights such as the right to vote and establishing women’s ability to actively participate in social and political spheres.

In contrast, contemporary Western feminism often seems to tackle only a fraction of the broad spectrum of issues that women face today. In the United States, feminist movements have made strides in addressing critical issues such as gender inequality and bodily autonomy, building upon the achievements of second-wave feminism.

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However, Western feminism appears to be predominantly centered around the American perspective. We see it everywhere; systemic control is ingrained in our everyday choices. An example of the U.S.’s influence can be found in something as simple as the instillment of beauty standards — fair skin or a slim figure — which can represent a broader agenda that moves to influence our values. 

Consumerism’s ability to distract millions of people from the world that they are currently living in is extremely telling. 

In 2013, American philosopher Nancy Fraser explained in The Guardian how capitalism would never allow any efforts of a movement’s path to recognition and equality to move forward.

“I fear that the movement for women’s liberation has become entangled in a dangerous liaison with neoliberal efforts to build a free-market society,” Fraser wrote.

This suggests that the feminist movement increasingly aligns itself with capitalist interests rather than prioritizing true equality. This only creates more of a distance between what is good for all women and what is good for the U.S., which never seem to coincide.

Instead of focusing on how feminism can genuinely enhance the lives of women, the movement has arguably moved toward advancing agendas influenced by hegemonic interests without us realizing. The U.S.has created a culture that is overly saturated by capitalism; therefore, the politics and social ideals in the country have catered to a more consumer-driven mentality. 

With this, Western feminism is becoming more aligned with what’s materially beneficial to Americans as opposed to recognizing the struggles of women within the West — and outside of it.

The suffering endured by women of marginalized communities in the U.S. represents how easy it is for our nation to do the same and much worse for entire communities around the world. 

The feminist movement should uplift women and, by doing so, work toward the betterment of society as a whole. However, there is no true justice in supporting a movement that prioritizes only a select portion of its population.

It doesn’t seem that feminism on our end of the world is working for women as a whole. Instead, Western feminism prioritizes those who can afford to live in more privileged circumstances.  

In the Western world, feminism can sometimes be diluted to what a woman is allowed to wear or whether or not one can shave their legs, but those ideas are centered around a white majority. Modern Western feminism feels like it thrives off of the struggles of women as opposed to working for their benefit. 

Altogether, Western feminism seems ineffective. Women from other countries are often left out of the conversation, with little consideration. Feminism is not doing enough, despite how intertwined it seems to be within our American culture, and it feels performative. At the same time we suffer at the hands of our “progressive” government, fighting for things such as reproductive rights, women in Gaza are using tent scraps as menstrual products amid war.  

Feminism isn’t solely a space for women to hold economic power or have the ability to maintain themselves. It’s a relentless battle against patriarchal systems that have been embedded not only in the law but also in the way we interact with the world. The true essence of feminism involves grappling with these oppressive structures and confronting the violent realities that we live in — something that many of us have yet to do.