Contesting Religious Fundamentalisms and Other Forms of Intolerance: Practical and Theoretical Challenges for the Global Feminist Movement

Abstract

This paper defines religious fundamentalisms as modern political projects. It asserts fundamentalist groups vary, but they have a common agenda around the control of women and their sexuality. The paper discusses certain theoretical challenges posed by fundamentalisms and explores some feminist responses to these. It asserts a need for a thoroughgoing defense of women's human rights in light of the fundamentalist resurgence, as secularism must be redefined to uphold principles of overall equality and gender equality.