Feminist Organizations, Definition of

Despite broad theoretical and orientation differences, feminist organizations are in large part a product of the global women's movement. Differing from traditionally bureaucratic and hierarchical organizational structures, feminist organizations tend toward collectivist approaches to internal operation and external activism. Fundamentally concerned with the end of female oppression, feminist organizations are responsible for prompting local, national, and international policies that address sexual harassment, rape, gender discrimination, and female poverty among other major social issues. Faced with conservative backlash and the hastened pace of neoliberal globalization, twenty-first-century feminist organizations face unique challenges associated with alliance building, co-optation, and sustainability.