French Feminism has a long history stretching back at least to the Middle Ages, where we see evidence of women denouncing inequality and the unjust subordination of their sex. In the late 1960s and early 1970s of the twentiety century, however, one finds a radical break with the feminism that preceded it. Marked by a libertarian culture influenced by Marxism, socialism and psychoanalysis, the feminism the began in the 1970s rejected the reformist and legal vision of women's emancipation politicized the private sphere, and demanded social and political equality.

This remarkable anthology of 36 texts, freshly translated for this volume, vividly maps the terrain of French feminism in its contemporary context from the 1970s onwards. Bringing together the seminal writings of both scholars and activists, the volume will help readers to grasp the questions, the challenges, and the progress of reflection.