Postcolonial Feminism

This foundational text of postcolonial feminist theory questions the possibility of Western intellectuals representing the oppressed. Through analyzing colonial discourse on Indian widow immolation (sati), Spivak reveals the imperialist logic of 'white men saving brown women from brown men,' arguing that subaltern women are structurally silenced under the dual oppression of colonialism and patriarchy.

This groundbreaking article critiques Western feminism's discursive construction of 'Third World women,' revealing colonialist tendencies in feminist scholarship. Mohanty demonstrates how Western feminism homogenizes non-Western women as victims, ignoring their agency and diversity, laying the foundation for transnational and decolonial feminist theory.