The Next Wave

Naomi Wolf

Whatever happened to feminism? Does Islam really turn women into “happy slaves”? Is America’s traditional commitment to democracy and equality in terminal decline? Has the West illegitimately monopolized the idea of human rights? Are there specific female values

As a leading figure of feminism’s “third wave,” Naomi Wolf, author of such acclaimed books as The Beauty Myth, Fire with Fire, Promiscuities, and Misconceptions, has sought to answer that question. Wolf advocates “power feminism”: women must assert themselves politically to get what they want. Yet, since all women do not have the same interests, owing to differences of race, culture, and class, she rejects the possibility of a universal female agenda.

Wolf’s commentaries in The Next Wave, written exclusively for Project Syndicate, challenge conventional views – often held by feminists – about abortion, pornography, sexual harassment, and much else, while paying close attention to evidence and nuances that are often overlooked or intentionally ignored. Equally important, Wolf never loses sight of how public debate about such issues both influences and reflects the character and quality of our political institutions.

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