Book Review: Planet Patriarchy: Global Tales of Feminism & Oppression by Rahila Gupta and Beatrix Campbell

Rahila Gupta and Beatrix Campbell, two feminist titans whose activism and writing spans a century between them, have written an urgent dispatch from the frontlines of a war, one seemingly without end. The US radical feminist, Kate Millett, once wrote: ‘Perhaps patriarchy's greatest psychological weapon is simply its universality and longevity. ... Patriarchy has a still more tenacious or powerful hold through its successful habit of passing itself off as nature.’ (Sexual Politics, 1970). As much as feminists have disputed the naturalisation of that oppression, we have to contend with its persistence.

Planet Patriarchy delivers a deeply researched examination of the enduring and evolving structures of patriarchy across the globe. Published in 2025 to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, it is both a depressing reflection on the failures of global commitments to gender equality (let alone women’s liberation) and a passionate testament to feminist resistance. The book's genesis traces back over a decade, animated by a central question ‒ "Why doesn't patriarchy die? – one born out of frustration with the neoliberal myth that equality is inevitable, a ‘residual’ sexism soon to fade like a bad hangover. Instead, they argue, patriarchy re-invents itself, irrespective of context.

Their central thesis is clear: patriarchy is not a relic of the past, nor is it confined to any one culture, religion or political system. Instead, it is a shapeshifting force which adapts to neoliberal democracies and authoritarian regimes. Patriarchal structures find ways to reassert themselves ‒ often under the guise of tradition, religion or economic necessity. They explore eight diverse societies ‒ Rojava, in the Kurdish region of Syria, Islamic State territories, Saudi Arabia, China, Iceland, South Africa, Russia and El Salvador ‒ each offering a distinctive lens into how patriarchal systems mutate, even as societies transform. An interview with a Riyadh dissident underscores the theme: patriarchy thrives in theocracy not despite modernisation, but because of it, using apps and surveillance to enforce purdah while exporting Wahhabi ideology.

The book is structured as a series of ‘dispatches’ from the frontlines of feminist struggle. Drawing on extensive interviews, field research and historical analysis, it’s anchored by the voices of women activists who carry on, even in the most hostile environments. From the feminist revolution in Rojava, where women have carved out a radical, egalitarian society amid war and displacement, to theocratic regimes like Saudi Arabia and the Islamic State, where religious fundamentalism is weaponised to enforce violent gender hierarchies, no more brutally expressed than in Islamic States’ institutionalised sexual slavery, targeting Yazidi women and girls.

Despite these frightening realities, Planet Patriarchy is filled with stories of women’s ingenuity and courage ‒ Kurdish women building autonomous communities; South African activists challenging post-apartheid male violence; and Salvadoran feminists fighting draconian abortion laws. These stories are not romanticised; setbacks, as well as victories, are acknowledged. We’re cautioned against applauding apparent improvements in women’s lives – they cite Saudi women being allowed to drive since 2018 which was little more than a calculated public relations strategy aimed at western allies, rather than a feminist victory. The feminist activist, Loujain al-Hathloul, was detained and tortured, even as the reform she fought for was implemented. Iceland has extraordinarily high rates of male violence against women, even though it consistently tops global indexes for gender equality.

Rahila and Bea show how patriarchy is not a standalone system, but one that intersects with nationalism, capitalism and racism. Western feminist movements have historically been critiqued for privileging white, Eurocentric perspectives and they write about how this dynamic plays out, especially in post-colonial contexts where feminism contends with the legacies of imperialism. In South Africa, feminist activism navigates the intersection of women’s and racial oppression in a society still grappling with the aftermath of apartheid. Many of us will recall Audre Lorde, the African American, lesbian feminist activist’s words: ‘There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.’ They were rarely far from my mind reading this book.

As ever, there are internal wrangles amongst feminists ‒ between reformists and revolutionaries, between those who engage with state institutions and those who reject them, and between grassroots organisers and NGO-led initiatives. But the extent to which any form of feminism can thrive is highly contingent. The authors argue that the rise of ‘authoritarian and right-wing populism’ is particularly damaging as it promotes the most aggressive masculinity, as well as rolling back women’s rights and suppressing dissent. In Russia we’ve seen increased censorship and criminalisation of women’s rights defenders, especially since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and domestic violence has been all but decriminalised to protect ‘family values’. In addition, the promotion of exclusionary identities ‒ based on race, religion or national origin ‒ leads to populist regimes pitting women against each other, fracturing feminist solidarity.

Although the United States is not a case study, its malign influence is felt throughout the book. They argue that neoliberalism, largely driven by US-led global financial institutions, has had a profoundly negative impact on women’s lives worldwide. These policies ‒ privatisation, deregulation, austerity ‒ often erode public services and social safety nets that disproportionately benefit women. In countries like South Africa and El Salvador, the adoption of neoliberal frameworks has exacerbated sex-based inequality, even as democratic reforms were underway.

This is a passionate, and often poetic book, full of outrage, but also of yearning for a better world, much as it catalogues the painful realities of the present one. It won’t be an easy read for those who nurse conservative or liberal fantasies about women being liberated under capitalism, or anti racism being an ‘optional extra’ for feminists. For feminism to succeed, it must be as adaptable, diverse and fleet of foot as the systems it seeks to dismantle. In conclusion, the authors stress a crucial finding – the armour of patriarchy is ‘pierced by women saying no. In that chink lies hope’, no better illustrated than by the Rojava women’s revolution which has ‘widened that chink and given us a glimpse into another world struggling to take breath’. Let’s breathe together.