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The article discusses gender equality movement by French feminists. French politics in the 1990s was full of debates about universalism. Whatever the issue-citizenship for North African immigrants, greater access to political office for women, or domestic partnership for homosexual couples its proponents and critics framed their arguments as critiques of, appeals to, or defenses of a universalism thought to be distinctively French. The movement sought to refigure the terms of universalism in order to increase the number of women in elected office. The point was not to press for anti-discrimination or affirmative action measures, but to guarantee an equal number of seats for women and men. The partial realization of that goal came with the law of June 6, 2000, which requires that half of all candidates for political office be women. The argument for partié was neither essentialist nor separatist; it was not about the particular qualities women would bring to politics, nor about the need to represent a special women's interest.

Focuses on universalism and the history of feminism in France. Significance of abstract individualism on the existence of feminism; Relationship between universalism and feminism; Objectives of the philosophy of feminism.

Focuses on the universalism of feminism in France. Existence of the concept of universal human nature; Comparison between American particularistic feminism and French universalistic feminism; Characterization on the universalistic feminism ideology in the country.

Focuses on universalism and minority culture in the United States. Characterization of minority culture; Behavior of a universally-minded being; Relation of the minor to the universal.

Provides a defense of a radical model of universalism as a philosophical and sociohistorical concept. Consideration of capitalism as a foundational category of social theory; Obsolescence of the universalist ideology; Emergence of the bourgeois concept of universalism in the transition of feudalism to capitalism.

Analyzes relationship between universalism and particularism. Discussions on universal values in the banner of multiculturalism; Descriptions on weakening of imperialism; Evaluation of incompatible cultural attachments in politics of authenticity.