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Feminism and Nationalism in the Third World
Alexa.trujillo (talk) 17:08, 6 April 2018 (UTC)Feminism and Nationalism in the Third World written by Kumari Jayawardena is widely used in women's studies programs around the world and is considered a key text of third-world feminism. This novel introduces the history of women’s movements in Turkey, Egypt, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan. It takes the reader into the lives and ideas of women and men who sought reform and revolutionary transformation. Kumari Jayawardena presents feminism as it originated in the Third World, coming from specific stories women told, fighting against colonial power, for education or the vote, for safety, and against poverty and inequality.

Jayawardena reconstructs the history of women's rights movements in Asia and the Middle East from the 19th century[1] to the 1980s, focusing on Egypt, Turkey, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines.[2] All of these countries have one thing in common: they have either been directly subjected to aggression and domination by imperialist powers attempting to establish themselves or indirectly manipulated into serving the interests of imperialism. Her research shows that feminism was not a foreign ideology 'imposed' on 'Third World' countries, but instead, was indigenous to Asia and the Middle East as women struggled for equal rights and against the subordination of women in the home and in society in general.

Jayawardena is the author of several other books, including The Rise of the Labor Movement in Ceylon and Embodied Violence: Communalising Women's Sexuality in South Asia. (Co-edited with Malathi de Alwis). However Feminism and Nationalism in the Third World is one of Jayawarden's oft-cited works and has gained international recognition. The book was chosen for the Feminist Fortnight award in Britain in 1986 and was cited by Ms. magazine in 1992 as one of the 20 most important books of 'the feminist decades' (i.e. 1970-1990).[3

What is Feminism
The meaning of the word feminism has now expanded to draw attention to women's oppression and exploitation within the workplace, family and society as a whole and how to change this situation. Jayawardena believes that feminism goes beyond the movement for equality, but does not directly address basic issues such as women's subordination or challenge the pre-existing relationship between men and women where subordination is found. In this book, the word "feminism" embraces movements for equality within our society and struggles we face in order to change the system.

Third World
It has been alleged that feminism is a product of the western capitalism, deeming no relevance to women in the third world. Jayawardena presents a feminism that didn't originate as an ideology of the West to be adopted by women in the Third World, but that instead came from the specific needs and struggles of women fighting against colonial power, for education, voting rights, safety, and against poverty and inequality. Jayawardena believes that education is a vital first step, educating young people to simply to aware of how feminism and nationalism are intertwined and fight for the rights they deserve. Feminism and nationalism were closely tied and helped bring countries to where they are today. Jayawardena explains that unlike Western feminists, third world feminists cannot pursue gender equality in isolation of the wide range of issues affecting their lives on a national and international scale. For third world women, while the "personal is political," the reverse is also true. Woman and men experience the same elements of poverty, but these elements of oppression affect men and woman differently.

Feminism in Turkey
At the end of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, Turkish woman began to organize themselves with elitists in Istanbul, creating the first wave of feminism in their country. They fought to increase pay and have access to education, in addition to abolishing polygamy. The second wave reached a much more diverse group of women than the first did, criticizing the oppressive male dominated structure of their society. Today there are over 250 groups of women in Turkey advocating for the different feminist identities such as radical feminists, socialist feminists, Muslim and so on. Although the second wave has shown progress, many still evaluate Turkish legislation as not achieved legal equality quite yet.

Feminism in India
Jayawardena acknowledges that India has been showing encouraging trends when it comes to feminism. Increasing economic liberty is allowing Indian women to go against the stereotypes that their society has molded them into, as well as economic rights to sexual and social rights are beginning to change as well. The younger generation of this society are fighting for gender equality, technology allowing communities and organizations to form on a larger platform than before. Jayawardena explains that feminism is multicultural and not just a western influence and it should be acknowledged worldwide that we pursue the same outcome.