Women make up half of the world’s population. How did it happen they were oppressed?
We are living in the era of the third wave of feminism, when women fight for equal rights in their professional and personal life. Public figures say that objectification and sexualization of women are not ok. Moreover, governments adopt laws that protect equal rights and possibilities for people of all genders, races, and physical abilities. Yes, it is also about feminism.
In this article, you will find 400+ feminism essay topics for students. Some raise the problems of feminism; others approach its merits. In addition, we have added a brief nuts-and-bolts course on the history and principal aspects of this social movement.
Table of Contents
❗ Top 15 Feminism Essay Topics
- Compare and contrast liberal and radical feminism.
- The problem of political representation of feminism.
- Is Hillary Clinton the most prominent feminist?
- How can feministic ideas improve our world?
- What is the glass ceiling, and how does it hinder women from reaching top positions?
- What can we do to combat domestic violence?
- Unpaid domestic work: Voluntary slavery?
- Why do women traditionally do social work?
- What are the achievements of feminism?
- Why is there no unity among the currents of feminism?
- Pornographic content should be banned in a civilized society.
- Does feminism threaten men?
- What is intersectional feminism, and why is it the most comprehensive feminist movement?
- Those who are not feminists are sexists.
- Why are women the “second gender?”
💻 Feminism Research Topics & Areas
Feminism is the belief in the equality of the sexes in social, economic, and political spheres. This movement originated in the West, but it has become represented worldwide. Throughout human history, women have been confined to domestic labor. Meanwhile, public life has been men’s prerogative. Women were their husband’s property, like a house or a cow. Today this situation has vastly improved, but many problems remain unresolved.
A feminism research paper aims to analyze the existing problems of feminism through the example of famous personalities, literary works, historical events, and so on. Women’s rights essay topics dwell on one of the following issues:
Healthcare & Reproductive Rights of Women
Women should be able to decide whether they want to have children or not or whether they need an abortion or not. External pressure or disapprobation is unacceptable. In many countries, abortions are still illegal. It is a severe problem because the female population attempts abortions without medical assistance in unhygienic conditions.
Economic Rights of Women
Women’s job applications are often rejected because they are expected to become mothers and require maternity leave. Their work is underpaid on a gender basis. They are less likely to be promoted to managerial positions because of the so-called “glass ceiling.” All these problems limit women’s economic rights.
Women’s Political Rights
Yes, women have voting rights in the majority of the world’s countries. Why isn’t that enough? Because they are still underrepresented in almost all the world’s governments. Only four countries have 50% of female parliamentarians. Laws are approved by men and for men.
Family & Parenting
The British Office for National Statistics has calculated that women spend 78% more time on childcare than men. They also perform most of the unpaid domestic work. Meanwhile, increasingly more mothers are employed or self-employed. It isn’t fair, is it?
Sexuality
Virginity is a myth. Still, women are encouraged to preserve it until a man decides to marry her. Any expression of female sexuality is criticized (or “slut-shamed“). We live in the 21st century, but old fossilized prejudices persist.
📜 History of Feminism Essay Topics
First Wave of Feminism & Earlier
- Ancient and medieval promoters of feminist ideas.
- “Debate about women” in medieval literature and philosophy.
- The emergence of feminism as an organized movement.
- Enlightenment philosophers’ attitudes towards women.
- The legal status of women in Renaissance.
- Mary Wollstonecraft’s views on women’s rights.
- Sociopolitical background of the suffrage movement.
- The most prominent suffrage activists.
- “Declaration of sentiments”: key points and drawbacks.
- What was special about Sojourner Truth and her famous speech?
- The significance of the first feminist convention in Seneca Falls.
- The National Woman Suffrage Association: goals and tactics.
- The influence of abolitionism on feminism ideas.
- Why did some women prefer trade unions to feminism?
- Radical feminists’ criticism of the suffrage movement.
- The UK suffragists’ approach to gaining voting rights for women.
- Alice Paul and Emmeline Pankhurst’s role in the suffrage movement.
- The Nineteenth Amendment: the essence and significance.
- Infighting in the post-suffrage era.
Second Wave of Feminism Essay Titles
- How did second-wave feminism differ from the suffrage movement?
- The roots of the second wave of feminism.
- John Kennedy’s policies concerning women’s rights.
- Eleanor Roosevelt’s contribution to feminism.
- Debates on gender equality in the late 1960s.
- Feminism activists’ achievements in 1960-1970.
- What was the focus of second-wave feminist research?
- Why was there no comprehensive feminist ideology?
- Anarcho-, individualist, “Amazon,” and separatist feminism: key ideas.
- The nature of liberal feminism.
- How did liberal and radical feminism differ?
- Why was cultural feminism also called “difference” feminism?
- What is the difference between liberal and radical feminism?
- Black feminists’ challenges and input to the fight for equity.
- Sociocultural differences in views on female liberation.
- The globalization of feminism: positive and negative aspects.
- Taliban’s oppression of Afghani women.
- What were the main concerns of feminists from developing countries?
- Why did Third World women criticize Western feminists?
- Feminism achievements to the end of the 20th century.
Third Wave of Feminism Research Topics
- What was peculiar about the third wave of feminism?
- Why did third-wave feminists consider their predecessors’ work unfinished?
- Social, political, economic, and cultural premises of third-wave feminism.
- How did the information revolution impact feminism?
- Third Wave Foundation’s major goals.
- Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards’ views on feminism.
- The impact of second wavers success on third-wave feminism.
- New approaches in fighting discrimination, utilized by third-wave feminists.
- The influence of the postmodern movement on feminism.
- The concept of a gender continuum.
- How did sexist symbols turn into female empowerment tools?
- What was specific about third-wave feminist art?
- Third-wavers’ redefinition of women as powerful and assertive figures.
- “Girl power” in pop culture.
- How did the Internet impact third-wave feminism?
- Sexualized behavior: sexual liberation or oppression in disguise?
- Why was third-wave feminism criticized?
- The multifaceted nature of third-wave feminism.
- Is multivocality a strength or weakness of third-wave feminism?
- How did third wavers counter the criticism?
Fourth Wave of Feminism Essay Topics
- The premises of fourth-wave feminism.
- Feminism’s major goals after 2012.
- Peculiarities of fourth-wave feminism.
- What behavior is sexual harassment?
- Sexual harassment: different gender-based perspectives.
- Social media: a feminist tool.
- Can social media deepen discrimination?
- Gender discrimination in video games.
- GamerGate’s alleged “men’s rights campaign.”
- Sexism in Donald Trump’s speech.
- Women’s March: reasons and significance.
- Main steps in MeToo’s development.
- Tarana Burke’s fight for justice.
- MeToo’s contribution to women’s rights.
- The most impactful MeToo stories.
- Harvey Weinstein’s case: outcome’s implications.
- Sexual harassment awareness after MeToo.
- MeToo’s influence on Hollywood’s ethics.
- Reasons for criticism of MeToo.
- Are sexual violence discussions necessary?
🙋 Argumentative Essay Topics on Feminism Movements
Mainstream Feminism Topics
- What is the focus of mainstream feminism?
- Mainstream feminism predispositions in the 19th century.
- The place of politics within mainstream feminism.
- What is males’ place in mainstream feminism?
- The correlation of mainstream feminism and social liberalism.
- The correlation between mainstream feminism and state feminism.
- Gender equality in the doctrine of mainstream feminism.
- Why sunflower is the symbol of mainstream feminism?
- Anthony Gidden’s ideas regarding liberal feminism.
- Liberal feminism, according to Catherine Rottenberg.
- Mary Wollstonecraft and her vision of liberal feminism.
- Liberal feminism through John Stuart Mill’s perspective.
- Interdependence of mainstream feminism and political liberalism.
- NOW’s activities and mainstream feminism.
- LWV’s activities and mainstream liberalism.
- LGBT’s place in mainstream liberalism’s doctrine.
- Frances Wright’s role in establishing mainstream feminism.
- Mainstream feminism and the civil rights movement in the 1960s.
- Constitutional Equity Amendment and mainstream feminism.
- International Woman Suffrage Alliance’s activities and mainstream feminism.
- Mainstream feminism and Gina Krog’s works.
- Betty Friedan’s understanding of mainstream feminism.
- Gloria Steinem’s theoretical contribution to mainstream feminism.
- Simone de Beauvoir’s ideas and the framework of mainstream feminism.
- Rebecca Walker and her vision within the scope of mainstream feminism.
- NWPC’s activities and mainstream feminism.
- WEAL’s activities and mainstream feminism.
- Catherine Mackinnon and mainstream feminism’s critique.
- “White woman’s burden” and mainstream feminism’s critique.
- The roots of mainstream feminism in Europe.
Radical Feminism Essay Titles
- Society’s order according to radical feminism.
- Sexual objectification and radical feminism.
- Gender roles according to radical feminism.
- Shulamith Firestone’s ideas regarding the feminist revolution.
- Ti-Grace Atkinson’s ideas in Radical feminism.
- The vision of radical feminism on patriarchy.
- Radical feminism’s impact on the women’s liberation movement.
- Radical feminism’s roots in the early 1960s.
- Kathie Sarachild’s role in radical feminism movements.
- Carol Hanisch’s contribution to radical feminism.
- Roxanne Dunbar and her radical feminism.
- Naomi Weisstein and her vision of radical feminism.
- Judith Brown’s activities in terms of radical feminism.
- UCLA Women’s Liberation Front role in radical feminism.
- Why have women come to be viewed as the “other?”
- Ellen Willis’s ideas regarding radical feminism.
- Redstockings’ role in radical feminism.
- The feminist’s role in radical feminism.
- Differences between The Feminists’ and Restokings’ positions.
- The protest against Miss America in 1968.
- 11-hour sit-in at the Ladies Home Journal headquarters.
- Forms of direct action in radical feminism.
- Protest of biased coverage of lesbians in 1972.
- Lisa Tuttle’s vision of radical feminism.
- Catharine MacKinnon’s position regarding pornography.
- Peculiarities of radical lesbian feminism.
- Recognition of trans women in radical feminism.
- Radical feminism in the New Left.
- Mary Daly’s vision of radical feminism.
- Robin Morgan’s vision of radical feminism.
Other Interesting Feminism Essay Topics
- Ecofeminism’s role in feminism’s popularization.
- Greta Gaard, Lori Gruen, and ecofeminism.
- Petra Kelly’s figure in ecofeminism.
- Capitalist reductionist paradigm and ecofeminism.
- Ecofeminism. How does the movement interpret modern science?
- Essentials of vegetarian ecofeminism.
- Peculiarities of materialist ecofeminism.
- Interconnection between spiritual ecofeminism and cultural ecofeminism.
- Henry David Thoreau’s influence on ecofeminism.
- Aldo Leopold’s influence on ecofeminism.
- Rachel Carson’s influence on ecofeminism.
- The social construction of gender in post-structural feminism.
- Luce Irigaray as a post-structuralist feminist.
- Julia Kristeva’s contribution to post-structuralist feminism.
- Hélène Cixous and her activities as a post-structuralist feminist.
- L’Écriture feminine in feminist theory.
- Monique Wittig’s influence on post-structuralist feminism.
- Kimberlé Crenshaw’s views on intersectionality.
- Marxist feminist critical theory.
- Representational intersectionality in feminist theory.
- Interlocking matrix of oppression.
- Standpoint epistemology and the outsider within.
- Resisting oppression in feminist theory.
- Women’s institute of science and feminism.
- Peculiarities of the Black feminist movement.
- Equity and race and feminism.
- Pamela Abbott’s ideas regarding postmodern feminism.
- Trans-exclusionary radical feminism today.
- Lipstick feminism’s ideas in the political context.
- Stiletto feminism and fetish fashion.
🔥 Famous Feminists Essay Topics
- Adichie’s proof that we should all be feminists.
- Analysis of Maya Angelou’s “And still I rise.”.
- Susan Anthony – the abolitionist movement’s champion.
- Patricia Arquette’s arguments on the gender pay gap topic.
- Simone de Beauvoir’s role in feminism.
- Madonna’s contribution to the female sexuality argument.
- How did Clinton rebuild US politics?
- Davis’s opinion on feminism and race.
- Dworkin’s vision of a future society.
- Friedan and feminism’s second wave.
- Gay’s description of bad feminists.
- Ruth Ginsburg – first woman champion in law.
- Hook’s answer to “Is feminism for everybody”?
- Dorothy Hughes – feminist leader of the civil rights movement.
- Themes in Lessing’s The Golden Notebook.
- Lorde’s explorations of women’s identity.
- Mock’s role in transgender women’s equality movement.
- Page’s championship in feminism.
- Pankhurst’s arguments for women’s voting rights.
- Rhimes’ strong women image in Grey’s Anatomy.
- Sandberg’s opinion about female careers.
- Sanger’s feminist ideas’ contribution to happy families.
- Walker and her fight for women of color’s rights.
- Oprah Winfrey’s role in promoting feminism.
- Eleanor Roosevelt: history of the first politician – a woman.
- Mary Wollstonecraft’s ideas about female education.
- Youngest-ever Nobel laureate – Malala.
- Emma Watson’s path from actress to feminist.
- Why is Steinem’s name feminism synonymous?
- Truth’s life from an enslaved person to activist.
🎯 Persuasive Women’s Rights Essay Topics
Healthcare and Reproductive Rights of Women
- Why is the fight for child care not over?
- Should government participate in birth control?
- Government’s moral right to cancel abortions.
- Should the government allow abortions?
- What are birth control and its meaning?
- Abortion rights recently disappeared in the US.
- Why are women’s rights becoming less vital?
- Western world’s degradation in women’s rights issue.
- Female access to healthcare in developing countries.
- Developed countries’ role in improving women’s healthcare.
- Media’s contribution to legalizing abortions.
- Female genital mutilation’s moral side.
- Feminism’s impact on LGBTQ healthcare rights.
- The reproductive rights of women are everyone’s problem.
- Abortion rights’ impact on country’s economy.
- Women’s reproductive rights in developing countries.
- Abortion rights crisis and the UN’s failure in achieving SDG#4.
- UN’s contribution to achieving equal healthcare rights.
- IGO’s impact on women’s reproductive rights issue.
- Is birth control already at risk?
- Meaning of reproductive justice.
- Reproductive rights movement’s role in the country’s development.
- The reproductive rights movement, as all social movements’ drivers.
- Abortion’s relation to healthcare rights.
- Healthcare rights’ impact on a country’s economic development.
- Political agenda behind abortion cancellation.
- Feminism’s role in national healthcare.
Economic Rights, Salaries, and Access to Education for Women
- Definition of women’s economic rights.
- Female economic rights’ impact on the economy.
- Female economic rights and education.
- Can women do “male jobs”?
- Gender inequality in the workplace.
- Women’s economic rights movements.
- Barriers to gender-equal economic rights.
- Gender inequality by social classes.
- Female economic rights and poverty.
- Can equal economic rights solve SDG#1?
- Why is it important to have equal access to education?
- How did the gender pay gap appear?
- Why does the gender pay gap exist?
- Women’s economic rights and industrialization.
- Female economic rights worldwide.
- Legal rights of women workers.
- Laws that protect women’s economic rights.
- Women as leaders in the workplace.
- Why are companies against women workers?
- Fertility’s impact on female economic rights.
- Quiet revolution’s impact female workforce.
- Reasons to monitor occupational dissimilarity index.
- Female economic rights in developing countries.
- Democracy and female economic rights.
- Gender pay gap as a global problem.
- ILO’s role in the fight for equal economic rights?
- Politics’ impact on female economic rights.
- Female economic rights movement and the fight against racism.
- The best practices in achieving gender-equal economic rights.
- Democracy and gender pay gap.
Women’s Political Rights Essay Topics
- Women’s suffrage movement definition.
- Female suffrage movement’s significance.
- Causes of gender inequality in politics.
- Women’s suffrage movement’s role today.
- Female suffrage’s impact on democracy.
- Women’s suffrage and economy.
- Suffrage movement’s effect on politics in the US.
- Do women need the right to vote?
- Effects of gender inequality on politics.
- Suffrage movement and politics in Britain.
- Laws for gender-equal political rights.
- The correlation between gender inequality in politics and authoritarianism.
- The possible solutions to gender inequality in politics.
- The role of IGOs in solving gender inequality in politics.
- How has the UN participated in the women’s suffrage movement?
- What is women’s role in politics in developing countries?
- How can women improve politics in their countries?
- What can men do for women’s equal political rights?
- Why equal rights to vote are everyone’s problem?
- The impact of Antoinette Louisa Brown on women’s suffrage.
- The effect of equal rights to education on equal political rights.
- Are western policies for equal rights applicable in developing countries?
- The importance of equal rights to vote.
- How to eliminate the gender pay gap?
- Why had women not had equal rights in politics?
- Is politics a “male job”?
- Benefits of appearance of female leaders in politics.
- Who created the women’s suffrage movement?
- How does women’s suffrage impact racism?
- Women’s suffrage contribution to LGBTQ communities’ equal political rights.
Family and Parenting Research Titles
- Female and male roles in a family.
- Sexism in families.
- Eliminating sexism in families is the best solution to gender inequality.
- Why is feminism a pro-family movement?
- The benefits of feminist upbringing.
- The causes of sexism in families.
- How does feminism help LGBTQ parents?
- Why should sexism be legally banned?
- The effects of sexism in families.
- The influence of sexist customs on society.
- Why should every family be feminist?
- How can feminism help solve the domestic violence issue?
- Government’s role in creating feminist families.
- What is feminist family value?
- The relation of authoritarian parent-paradigm on politics.
- Can feminist families bring democracy?
- Teaching feminism at home vs. at school.
- Traditional vs. Feminist parenting.
- Why should women have the right to be child-free?
- The impact of bringing up feminist daughters.
- Can feminist parents bring up mentally healthy children?
- Does the government have a moral right to endorse feminist values?
- The role of media for feminist families.
- How does feminism transform parent-child relationships?
- Can feminism help families overcome poverty?
- The role of feminist families in the economy.
- The influence of hierarchal husband-wife relationships on children.
- Do IGOs have moral rights to intervene in feminist families?
- The movements endorsing feminism in families.
- The effect of different views on feminism in parents on children.
Sexuality Essay Ideas
- The views of radical feminists on women’s sexuality.
- Who are sex-positive feminists, and their values?
- Feminism’s impact on sexual orientation.
- The role of feminism in sexual identity matters.
- How does feminism help eliminate sexual violence?
- What is harassment, and why are feminists fighting it?
- The role of media in women’s sexuality.
- Traditional views on women’s sexuality.
- How is feminism transforming sexuality?
- What are feminist sex wars?
- Why are some feminists against pornography?
- What are pro-pornography feminist arguments?
- How is feminism protecting the rights of sex workers?
- Rights of sex workers in developed vs. developing countries.
- Feminist critique of censorship.
- What is behind the issue of sex trafficking?
- Children’s rape problem and feminism.
- The role of feminism in solving the sex trafficking problem.
- R v. Butler case discussion.
- How is pornography enhancing sexual objectification?
- How is poverty causing prostitution?
- Can feminism eliminate prostitution by solving poverty?
- Pro-sex worker feminists and their beliefs.
- What are the perspectives of pro-sex workers?
- The consequences of violence against women.
- The role of feminism to LGBTQ sex workers.
- Why are feminists trying to decriminalize prostitution?
- Prostitution in developed vs. developing countries.
- The effect of class and race differences on prostitution.
- Short- and long-term impacts on sex workers.
👩🎓 Essay Topics on Women’s Rights in the World
Essay Topics on Feminism in Developing Countries
- Social taboos and abortion in Nigeria.
- Access to sexual healthcare in Asia.
- Sexual health and access to contraception in developing countries.
- Coronavirus pandemic’s impact on gender inequalities.
- Health and education access for women in Afghanistan.
- Does poverty result in increased sexual violence?
- Regulations on gender equality in developing countries.
- Female genital mutilation in the 21st century.
- Practicing female genital mutation in Africa.
- Which countries have the highest gender gap?
- Forced and child marriages in humanitarian settings.
- The Taliban’s view: Is woman a property?
- Honor killing in Pakistan: 1000 women are killed annually.
- Women’s access to healthcare in Somalia.
Feminism Essay Topics in Developed Countries
- “Broken Rung” and the gender pay gap.
- What are the obstacles to reaching gender equality?
- Do gender stereotypes result in workplace discrimination?
- Increased educational attainment of young women.
- Ending sexual harassment and violence against women.
- Is sexual harassment a form of discrimination?
- Cracking the glass ceiling: What are the barriers and challenges?
- Domestic drama: The impact of sexual violence on women’s health.
- Feminism and the problem of misogyny.
- The challenges faced by women in developed counties.
- Female participation in the labor market.
- Unequal pay for women in the workplace.
- How do developed countries improve women’s rights?
- Nations with strong women’s rights.
- Women’s employment: Obstacles and challenges.
👸 Antifeminist Essay Topics
- Antifeminism: The right to abortion.
- Gender differences in suicide.
- Manliness in American culture.
- Antifeminism view: Men are in crisis.
- The threats of society’s feminization.
- The meaning of antifeminism across time and cultures.
- Antifeminism attracts both men and women.
- Antifeminism: The opposition to women’s equality?
- How do religious and cultural norms formulate antifeminism?
- Saving masculinity or promoting gender equality?
- Traditional gender division of labor: Fair or not?
- Are feminist theories of patriarchy exaggerated?
- Oppression of men in the 21st century.
- Psychological sex differences and biological tendencies.
- Does feminism make it harder for men to succeed?
- The change of women’s roles: Impact on the family.
- How were traditional gender roles challenged in modern culture?
- History of antifeminism: The pro-family movement.
- Religion and contemporary antifeminism.
- Antifeminist on the rights of minorities.
- Heterosexual and patriarchal family: Facts behind antifeminism.
- Women against feminism in Western countries.
- Feminism versus humanism: What is the difference?
- Does feminism portray women as victims?
- Same-sex marriage: The dispute between feminists and antifeminists.
- Male-oriented values of religions and antifeminism.
- Does antifeminism threaten the independence of women?
- Men’s rights movement: Manosphere.
- Does antifeminism refer to extremism?
- The fear of being labeled as a feminist.
📚 Topics on Feminism in Literature
- A Vindication of the Right of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft.
- Jane Austen: Criticism of inequitable social rules.
- Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley: Frankenstein and aborted creations.
- Undercutting female stereotypes in Jane Eyre.
- Oppression of woman’s traditional roles in The Awakening.
- Virginia Woolf and her feminism.
- Orlando: A Biography. Evolving from man to woman.
- Feminist criticism: A Room of One’s Own.
- Social oppression in Three Guineas by Woolf.
- Rape, illegitimacy, and motherhood in The Judge by Rebecca West.
- Feminist utopias of Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
- Women’s rights and societal reform views of Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
- Feminist critics in a culture dominated by men.
- Black women’s aesthetic in Their Eyes Were Watching God.
- Alice Walker’s ideas on Feminist women of color.
- Female sexuality in Fear of Flying by Erica Jong.
- How do feminist novels address race and ethnicity?
- Social and emotional pressures in Love Medicine by Erdrich.