Women's studies is an academic field that draws on feminist and interdisciplinary methods to place women's lives and experiences at the center of study, while examining social and cultural constructs of gender; systems of privilege and oppression; and the relationships between power and gender as they intersect with other identities and social locations such as race, sexual orientation, socio-economic class, and disability.[1]
Ana Amado (1946–2016), Argentine political scientist and feminist, headed the women and society department at the Latin American Institute for Transnational Studies
Judith Astelarra (born 1943), Argentine sociologist active in women's studies in Spain
Nora Domínguez (born 1951), Argentine academic, co-founder of the Interdisciplinary Institute of Gender Studies at the University of Buenos Aires
Hilda Habichayn (1934–2021), Argentine sociologist and feminist, founder of the Center for Historical Studies on Women at the National University of Rosario
Mirta Zaida Lobato (born 1948), Argentine historian, specializing in societal history and gender relations in LAtin America
Angelique Nixon (fl. 2010s), Bahamian academic based in Trinidad, lecturer at the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies
Rita Mulier (born 1934), Belgian feminist and economist, founder of the Women's Consultation Committee and specializing in mother's rights in the workplace
Maija Blaubergs (1947–2010), Latvian-Canadian feminist scholar, coordinator of the University of Georgia's women's studies program
Sheila Cavanagh (fl. 2000s), Canadian academic, former chair of the sexuality studies program at York University covering gender studies, feminist theory and queer theory
Yolande Cohen (born 1960), Moroccan-born Canadian historian focusing on the history of women
Huguette Dagenais (born 1943), French-Canadian anthropologist, ran the first women's studies program at Université Laval
Francine Descarries (born 1942), Canadian sociologist and leading figure in feminist studies in Quebec
Margaret Gillett (1930–2019), Australian-Canadian pedagogue, who was the founding director of the women's studies program at McGill University
Grace Jantzen (1948–2006), Canadian feminist philosopher and theologian, former professor of religion, culture and gender at Manchester University
Anne Klinck (1943–2023), Canadian academic, authority on the female voice in lyric poetry
Hilary M. Lips (born 1940), Canadian academic and writer, founder of the Center for Gender Studies at Radford University, Virginia
Katherine McKittrick (born 1970), Canadian academic, professor of gender studies at Queen's University, specializing in Black feminist geography
Wendy Mitchinson (1947–2021), Canadian historian at the University of Waterloo, researching gender and medical history
Viviane Namaste (fl. 2001), Canadian feminist academic at Concordia University, Montreal, focusing on sexual health and sex work
Evangelia Tastsoglou (born 1968), Greek-Canadian sociologist, researching issues of gender, international migration and gender-based violence
Barbara Taylor (born 1950), Canadian historian based in the United Kingdom, specializing in the Enlightenment and gender studies at Queen Mary, University of London
Leah Vosko (born 1971), Canadian academic focusing on political economy, labour rights, gender studies, migration, and citizenship
Liang Jun (born 1945), Chinese activist, campaigner for women's right to education in China
Li Xiaojiang (born 1951), introduced women's studies to China and wrote Progress of Mankind and Liberation of Womanhood (1983), the first work on women published in the country since 1949.
Signe Arnfred (born 1944), Danish sociologist and feminist, organized meetings and seminars leading to gender studies
Ann-Dorte Christensen (born 1954), Danish social scientist, professor of sociology of gender at Aalborg University
Eva Hemmer Hansen (1913–1983), Danish writer and feminist, chair of the Danish Women's Society
Lene Koch (born 1947), Danish feminist and historian. active in establishing the Centre for Women's Research at the University of Copenhagen
Nynne Koch (1915–2001), Danish feminist, pioneering researcher in gender studies, active in the establishment of Kvinfo, the Danish Centre for Research on Women and Gender
Nina Lykke (born 1939), Danish academic active in Sweden, recognized for her work on feminist theory, former professor of gender studies at Linköping University
Harriet Bjerrum Nielsen (born 1948), Danish philologist and gender studies scholar at the University of Oslo, specializing in gender and identity and gender socialization
Tania Ørum (born 1945), Danish feminist and literary historian specializing in women's and gender studies
Birgitte Possing (born 1952), Danish historian specializing in historical biography in connection with the Danish women's biographical dictionary Dansk kvindebiografisk leksikon
Ochy Curiel (born 1963), Afro-Dominican feminist, academic and social anthropologist, known for helping to establish the Afro-Caribbean women's movement
Solveig Bergman (born 1955), Finnish sociologist, former director of the Nordic Gender Institute in Olso
Elina Haavio-Mannila (born 1933), Finnish social scientist and former professor of sociology
Aili Nenola (born 1942), Finnish academic active in folklore and the development of women's studies at the University of Tartu and at the Kristina Institute
Liisa Rantalaiho (born 1933), Finnish sociologist active in gender studies
Päivi Setälä (1943–2014), Finnish historian advocating women's research
Harriet Silius (born 1948), Finnish professor of women's studies at Åbp Akademi University, editor of the Nordic Journal of Women's Studies
Ulla Vuorela (1945–2011), Finnish social anthropologist active in women's and gender studies
Juliette Rennes (fl. 1990s), French sociologist and academic, researching topics related to the history and sociology of gender, work and discrimination
Michelle Zancarini-Fournel (born 1947), French historian, specializing in the history of women and gender as well as May 68
Heike Mauer (fl. 2015), German gender theorist and feminist, member of the German Women's and Gender Research Network
Sigrid Metz-Göckel (born 1940), German sociologist and political scientist, pioneering women's and gender studies at the Technical University of Dortmund
Beate von Miquel (born 1968), German women's rights advocate and gender studies scholar at Ruhr University Bochum
Christa Mulack (1943–2021), German feminist theologian and writer with an emphasis on matriarchy
Ursula G. T. Müller (born 1944), German feminist and sociologist, active in the development of women's studies
Gesine Spieß (1945–2016), German academic specializing in gender studies at the University of Applied Sciences in Erfurt
Claudia von Werlhof (born 1943), German sociologist, held Austria's first professorship of women's studies
Elahe Haschemi Yekani (fl. 2000s), German academic at Humboldt University of Berlin specializing in research on gender studies, queer theories and intersectionality
Gayatri Reddy (fl. 2000), Indian anthropologist, associate professor of anthropology, gender and women's studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Rashmi Tiwari (born 1972), Indian economist addressing women's issues as director of the Aahan Foundationf For Social Change
Zahra Kamalkhani (born 1954), Iranian anthropologist, active in gender studies at the University of Bergen and subsequently conducting research in Australia
Philomena Essed (born 1955), Surinamese-Dutch professor of race, gender and leadership at Antioch University Yellow Springs, Ohio
Francisca de Haan (fl. 2002), former professor of gender studies and history
Donny Meertens (born 1946), Dutch academic active in Colombia, co-founder of the Gender, Women and Development Studies Program at the National University of Colombia
Joyce Outshoorn (born 1944), German political scientist, former head of the Women's Studies Department at Leiden University
Gloria Wekker (born 1950), Afro-Surinamese Dutch academic, focusing on gender studies and sexuality in the Afro-Caribbean region
Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí (born 1957), Nigerian gender scholar and specialist in African studies, professor of sociology at Stony Brook University, New York
Mobolanle Ebunoluwa Sotunsa (fl. 2009), Nigerian academic, professor of gender studies at Babcock University
Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso (fl. 2010s), Nigerian academic focusing on African women in post-conflict contexts, also addressing refugees, gender and politics
Agnes Bolsø (born 1953), Norwegian sociologist and expert on gender studies and sexuality, former director of the Norwegian Center for Gender Studies
Berit Brandth (born 1947), Norwegian sociologist and gender researcher
Tone Hellesund (born 1967), Norwegian ethnologist specializing in gender studies
Elin Kvande (born 1951), Norwegian sociologist and gender researcher
Elisabeth Lund Engebretsen (born 1923), Norwegian anthropologist and gender studies scholar at the University of Stavanger
Eva Lundgren (born 1947), Norwegian sociologist and former academic at Sweden's Uppsala University, expert on violence against women and sexual violence
Jorunn Økland (born 1964), Norwegian gender studies expert and biblical scholar, professor of gender studies at the University of Oslo
May-Len Skilbrei (born 1971), Norwegian sociologist, criminologist and gender studies scholar
Inger Skjelsbæk (born 1969), Norwegian gender studies scholar, professor of gender studies at the Centre for Gender Research in Oslo
Suzanne Stiver Lie (1934–2018), American-born Norwegian women's rights activist and academic, developer of women's studies programs in Norway, Lithuania and Estonia
Marina Blagojević (1958–2020), Serbian sociologist, gender scholar and feminist, board member of the Women's Study Center in Belgrade
Biljana Dojčinović (born 1963), Serbian feminist academic, founder of the Center for Women's Studies at the University of Belgrade
Vera Kurtić (fl. 2010s), Serbian sociologist and feminist specializing in discrimination faced by Roma women, founder of the Roma Women's Network of Serbia
Chung Young-ai (born 1955), South Korean academic and former government minister, specializing in social welfare at Seoul Cyber University, first Korean to hold a doctorate in women's studies
Flora Botton (born 1933), Greek-born Spanish sociologist and gender studies scholar active in Nexico, co-founder of the gender studies program at El Colegio de México
Mercedes Bengoechea (born 1952), Spanish feminist sociologist, active in the need to implement non-sexist use of language
Montserrat Boix (born 1960), Spanish journalist, proponent of egalitarian journalism and the eradication of gender violence
Rosa Cobo Bedía (born 1956), Spanish feminist, professor of sociology of gender
Cecilia Castaño (born 1953), Spanish political scientist, researching the digital gender information gap and women's access to the information society at Complutense University
María del Carmen García Herrero (born 1959), Spanish historian focusing on medieval women, co-coordinator of women's studies at the University of Zaragoza
Alicia Miyares Fernández (born 1963), Spanish philosopher, feminist, researcher and women's rights activist
Eulàlia Lledó (born 1952), Spanish schoolteacher specializing in sexism and gender violence in collaboration with universities and gender networks
Laura Nuño Gómez (born 1967), Spanish political scientist and feminist, director of gender studies at King Juan Carlos University
Miren Ortubay Fuentes (born 1958), Spanish criminologist at the University of the Basque Country specializing in gender-related violence
Marta Segarra (born 1963), Spanish philologist and academic, CNRS researcher in gender and sexuality
Amelia Valcárcel (born 1950), Spanish philosopher and feminist, active in moral values and women's rights
Margot Bengtsson (born 1943), Swedish psychologist known for her research in social, feminist and critical psychology, especially gender, power, identity and social class
Boel Berner (born 1945), Swedish sociologist and historian, researching women, peace and security policy
Maud Eduards (born 1944), Swedish political scientist and gender studies scholar
Asta Ekenvall (1913–2001), Swedish librarian, founder of the Swedish Women's History Archive
Eva Gothlin (1957–2006), Swedish historian of ideas
Yvonne Hirdman (born 1943), Swedish historian and gender researcher
Gunhild Kyle (1921–2016), Swedish historian, professor of women's history
Hjördis Levin (born 1930), Swedish historian active in research on gender studies
Lisbeth Larsson (1949–2021), Swedish literary historian focusing on gender studies at the University of Gothenburg
Rosa Malmström (1906–1995), Swedish feminist active in the development of the Swedish Women's Historical Collection now known as KvinnSam
Eva Pineus (1905–1985), Swedish politician, librarian and women's rights activist, founder of the Swedish women's historical literature archive KvinnSam
Nina Rung (born 1981), Swedish feminist and anti-domestic violence activist
Yi-Chun Tricia Lin (fl. 2000s), Taiwanese feminist scholar, director of the Southern Connecticut State University's program on women's gender and sexuality
Feride Acar (born 1948), Turkish expert on women and gender, founding chair of the Middle East Technical University's gender and women's studies program
Ayşe Gül Altınay (fl. 2001), Turkish academic at Sabancı University focusing on anthropology, cultural studies and gender studies
Liz Bird (1945–2021), British academic, co-founding member of the British Women's Studies Group
Eliza Bostock (1817–1898), British promoter of women's education
Samantha Brennan (fl. 2000s), British philosopher and scholar of women's studies at the University of Guelph
Adelina Broadbridge (fl. 2001), British academic specializing in retailing and gender in management, editor-in-chief of Gender in Management
Lynne Brydon (fl. 1978), British social scientist specializing in gender studies, senior research fellow in African studies at the University of Birmingham
Hazel Carby (born 1948), British born academic active in the United States, focusing on race, gender and sexuality in Caribbean culture
Cynthia Carter (born 1959), British writer and feminist. former chair of the Feminist Scholarship Division of the International Communication Association
Sarah Childs (born 1969), British academic, chair of politics and gender at the University of Edinburgh
Sarah Colvin (born 1967), British scholar specializing in German literary theory and gender studies at the University of Cambridge
Catherine Eschle (fl. 1999), British political scientist, researching feminism, intersectionality and gender politics
Jill Liddington (born 1946), British writer and academic specializing in women's history
Lesley McMillan (fl. 2000s), professor of criminology and sociology at Glasgow Caledonian University, researching gender-based violence and criminal justice systems
Laura Mulvey (born 1941), British feminist film theorist, professor of film and media studies at Birkbeck, University of London
Felicity Nussbaum (born 1944), American academic at the University of California, Los Angeles, with an interest in gender studies and 18th-century literature
Christine Oppong (fl. 1980), British academic at the Institute of African Studies, formerly research anthropologist and adviser in gender, population and development at the ILO, Geneva
Jane Pilcher (fl. 1990s), British sociologist specializing in gender studies, including names, gender and ageing
Diana Paton (born 1969), British historian, specializing in the Caribbean including gender history, professor of history at the University of Edinburgh
Alison Phipps (fl. 2000s), British political sociologist, gender studies scholar and gender theorist at Newcastle University
Emma L. E. Rees (fl. 2010s), British academic and writer, professor of English and gender studies at the University of Chester
Elizabeth Jesser Reid (1789–1866), English social reformer active in promoting higher education for women
Alexandra Shepard (fl. 2003), British academic, professor of gender history at the University of Glasgow
Annette K. Baxter (United States)Mollie C. Davis (United States)Myra Dinnerstein (United States)Kristen GhodseeTricia Rose (United States)Joan Wallach Scott (United States)Afsaneh Najmabadi (Iran/United States)Shulamit Reinharz (Netherlands/United States)
Lina AbiRafeh (fl. 2008), Arab-American feminist focused on gender issues, former director of the Arab Institute for Women at the Lebanese American University
Nwando Achebe (born 1970), Nigerian-American academic and feminist focusing on West African History, gender and sexuality
Shauna Adix (1932–1998), American academic, founder of the Women's Resource Center at the University of Utah
Elizabeth R. Baer (born 1946), American academic specializing in women's and Holocaust studies
Aimee Bahng (fl. 2010), American academic, professor of gender and women's studies at Pomona College, California
Tani E. Barlow (fl. 1994), American historian and women studies academic, known for researching feminism in China
Annette Kar Baxter (1926–1983), American women's history academic, taught early women's history class at Barard College
Susan Groag Bell (1926–2015), Czech-American pioneer in women's studies
Sandra Bem (1944–2014), American psychologist known for her interest in androgyny and gender studies
Margarita Benítez (born 1949), Puerto Rican educator and academic, founder of Puerto Rico's first women's study program
Donna Boutelle (1931–2008), American historian, president of the West Coast Association of Women Historians
Ana J. Bridges (fl. 2007), American psychologist at the University of Arkansas, co-editor of Sexualization, Media, and Society
Marilyn J. Boxer (born 1930), American historian, early contributor to women's studies at San Diego State University
Christia Brown (fl. 2003), American psychologist researching gender and ethnic discrimination
Joan Jacobs Brumberg (born 1944), American social historian specializing in women's history and medical history, former academic at Cornell University in women's studies and human development
Judith Butler (born 1958), American philosopher and gender studies scholar, known for her interest in third-wave feminism, queer theory and literary theory
Rebecca Campbell (born 1969), American psychologist, researching sexual assault and violence against women at Michigan State University
Tina Campt (fl. 1996), American academic at Princeton University, women's studies researcher with a special interest in Afro-Germans
Silvia Sara Canetto (fl. 1977), American psychologist and academic, researching diversity issues including gender and sexual orientation
Berenice A. Carroll (1932––2018), American political scientist specializing in peace and conflict studies, feminist theory and women's studies
Jane Chance (born 1945), American scholar, formerly specializing in English literature and gender studies at Rice University
Eliza Lo Chin (born 1967), American academic specializing in women's health, director of the American Medical Women's Association
Nancy Chodorow (born 1944), American sociologist, academic and writer, active in women's studies and recognized for her interest in feminist thought
Janine Austin Clayton (fl. 2000s), American ophthalmologist research women's health at the National Institutes of Health
Carol Cohn (fl. 1987), American academic, founding director of the Consortium on Gender, Security and Human Rights and lecturer at the University of Massachusetts
Mollie C. Davis (1932–2021), American activist and academic promoting women's studies programs
Jeannine Davis-Kimball (1929–2017), American archaeologist specializing in gender studies
Carmen Diana Deere (born 1945), American feminist economist, expert on gender in Latin American development
Linda Grant DePauw (born 1940), American modern historian pioneering women's research
Myra Dinnerstein (born 1934), American academic, founding director of the women's studies program at the University of Arizona
Peggy Dobbins (born 1938), offered a women's study course in New Orleans in 1966
Zillah Eisenstein (fl. 1972), American political theorist and gender studies scholar, specializing in feminist theory, class, sex and race politics
Tanya Erzen (fl. 2000s), American academic specializing in religion, gender and queer studies at the University of Puget Sound
Mary Dockray-Miller (born 1965), American scholar of early medieval England at Lesley University, known for work on female saints and religious women
Anne Fausto-Sterling (born 1944), American sexologist, specializing in the social construction of gender, sexual identity, gender roles and intersexuality
Martha Feldman (born 1954), American musicologist and cultural historian, also interested in gender and sexuality
Yael Feldman (born 1941), American cultural historian researching feminist Hebrew literary criticism and active in gender studies
Myra Marx Ferree (born 1949), American sociologist, formerly associated with European studies and women's studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Terri Fisher (fl. 1988), American psychologist specializing in human sexuality and gender stereotypes
Joanne Frye (born 1944), American academic, former professor of English and Women's Studies at the College of Wooster
Theresa Geller (fl. 2004), American academic specializing in film theory and gender studies
Carol Gilligan (born 1938), American feminist and ethicist, interested in women's psychology and girl's development
Kristen Ghodsee (born 1970), American ethnographer specializing in post-socialist gender studies
Thavolia Glymph (fl. 1994), American historian specializing in African-American history and women's history at Duke University
Claudia Goldin (born 1946), American economic historian noted for her research into the women's labor market
Linda Haas (born 1950), American sociologist, former researcher focusing on gender, family policy and labor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Mary S. Hartman (born 1941), American academic, former director of the Women's Studies Institute at Rutgers University
Marcia Herndon (1941–1997), American ethnomusicologist with an interest in music, gender and culture
Barbara Hillyer (1934–2024), American academic and feminist activist, founding director of women's studies courses at the University of Oklahoma
Sarah Hoagland (born 1945), American philosopher, former professor of women's studies at Northeastern Illinois University
Janet L. Jacobs (born 1948), American sociologist specializing in gender and religion and the social psychology of gender
Cheryl Johnson-Odim (fl. 1978), American historian, specializing in women's history
Jennifer A. Johnson (fl. 2004), American sociologist, one of the chief editors of Sexualization, Media and Society
Katrina Karkazis (born 1970), American anthropologist, professor of sexuality, women's and gender studies at Arnherst College
AnaLouise Keating (born 1961), American academic, professor of multicultural women's and gender studies at Texas Women's University
Rosemary Keefe (1940–2012), American nun pioneering the women's studies program at Rollins College in Florida
Monika Kehoe (1909–2012), American linguist and ESL specialist who founded the women's studies program at the University of Guam
Kamala Kempadoo (fl. 1990s), British-Guyanese writer and academic, specializing in sexology research
Mirra Komarovsky (1905–1999), American pioneer in the sociology of gender
Marlene Longenecker (1945–2014), American academic, director of Ohio State University's Center for Women's Studies
Zella Luria (1924–2018), American psychologist and feminist known for her work on the development of gender identity and sexuality
Louise Ropes Loomis (1874–1958), American historian, cofounder of the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians
Lynn Mahoney (born 1964), American academic historian focusing on women's history, feminism, race studies, and ethnicity
Harriet Malinowitz (fl. 1990), American academic in gender studies at Ithaca College
Elizabeth A. McAlister (fl. 1996), American scholar of African-American and gender studies at Wesleyan University
Susan McClary (born 1946), American musicologist and feminist, noted for her work on feminist music criticism at Case Western Reserve University
Durba Mitra (fl. 2013}, American academic specializing in feminist studies at Harvard University
Lisa Jean Moore (born 1967), professor of sociology and gender studies at the State University of New York
Premilla Nadasen (fl. 2005), American historian specializing in the histories of women of color, former president of the National Women's Studies Association
Carol Nagy Jacklin (1939–2011), American psychologist and gender scholar at the University of Southern California
Afsaneh Najmabadi (born 1946), Iranian-born American historian and gender theorist at Harvard University
Marysa Navarro (born 1933), Spanish-American historian specializing in the history of feminism and Latin American women
Connie Newman (fl. 1978), American endocrinologist, former president of the American Medical Women's Association
Vivien Ng (fl. 1976), American historian, chair of the University at Albany, SUNY's Department of Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies, former president of the National Women's Studies Association
Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert (born 1953), Puerto-Rican philosopher researching the contributions of Caribbean women
Carolyn C. Perrucci (fl. 1960s), American sociologist specializing in gender roles, family and education
Catherine M. Prelinger (1925–1991), American historian, president of the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians
Priti Ramamurthy (fl. 1991), American political economist, professor of gender, women and sexuality studies at the University of Washington
Janice Raymond (born 1943), American lesbian feminist, former professor of women's studies and medical ethics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
Shulamit Reinharz, Dutch-born American academic, headling women's studies program
Luana Ross (born 1949), Native American sociologist in gender, women and sexuality studies at the University of Washington
Joan Wallach Scott (born 1941), American historian of France with contributions in gender history and gender theory
Hilda L. Smith (1941–2023), American historian specializing in gender analysis of political theory at the University of Cincinnati
Barbara Miller Solomon (1919–1992), American historian, taught the first course on American women at Harvard University
Gwendolyn T. Sorell (1938–2009). American academic specializing in human development and family studies at Texas Tech University
Margaret Strobel (born 1946), American academic specializing in African studies, former head of women's studies at the University of Illinois Chicago
M. Elizabeth Tidball (1929–2014), American physiologist advocating for women in academia and STEM
Nayereh Tohidi (born 1951), Iranian-born American professor, former chair of gender and women's studies at California State University
Tricia Rose (born 1962), American sociologist and writer, researching the intersectionality of pop music and gender at Brown University
Penny A. Weiss (fl. 1987), American academic, former chair of women's and gender studies at Purdue University
Mary Zirin (1932–2019), American scholar of Russian literature, advocate for Slavic women's studies
Teresita de Barbieri (1937–2018), Uruguayan feminist sociologist based in Mexico, researcher in social sciences and gender studies focused on Latin America
Graciela Sapriza (born 1945), Uruguayan historian, focusing on the social, political and cultural participation of Uruguayan women in the 19th and 20th centuries
^Shaw, Susan M.; Lee, Janet (23 April 2014). Women's voices, feminist visions: classic and contemporary readings (Sixth ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. ISBN978-0078027000. OCLC862041473.
