womanism en · NOUN
Etymology
From woman + -ism. Coined by Alice Walker in 1983.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) An extension to feminism that incorporates respect for women of all races and classes.
In line with femalism, African womanism is committed to the quest for total freedom of the colonized African men and women.
2004, Chioma Carol Opara, Her Mother's Daughter: The African Writer as Woman, page 20:Although womanism raises the issue of gender, it simultaneously offers a distance from the “enemy,” in this case, Whites generally and White women in particular.
2001, Sheila Ruth, editor, Issues in Feminism: An Introduction to Women's Studies, McGraw-Hill:Feminism is the form of women's organisation that is prioritised both in the media and academia, but many black women have turned to womanism in an attempt to counter the ways in which the combined oppressions of race and gender affect our lives. Womanism is not just feminism for women from minorities; it is based in our spirituality, honouring our foremothers and a desire to support both men and women.
2010 April 10, Renee Martin, “I'm not a feminist (and there is no but)”, in The Guardian:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| womanisms | Number=Plur | lexicographic |