Feminism can get past the identity problem when it comes to the category of "woman" by recognizing that every woman's experiences are different. Women can experience oppression in a variety of ways, as we have learned when discussing intersectionality. Women also experience what it means to be women in the context of many different cultures, religions, social groups and other contexts. All of a person's identities interact to shape their experiences. Within that all women have very different individual experiences. Many women in "developing" countries don't like to use the term feminism, even if they are working towards agendas that fall under feminist goals, because they feel that feminism is for white western privileged women. There is a tendency to try to "normalize" the idea of how women experience oppression and what feminism is when in reality there is a lot of difference in women's experiences. Instead of focusing on one big idea of what feminism is and one concept of how women experience oppression, feminism could get past the identity problem by looking at individual experiences and needs as well as understanding the cultural and religious contexts that women experience their lives in when dealing with global feminism. This could be done by simply listening to women on an individual basis and taking their experiences into account, instead of assuming what they must be experiencing based on pre-established feminist theory. One great example of how this can be done is the website we read with many different women's stories from around the world. The website had a link to click on for anyone to add a story. In this way they were encouraging women to take an active part in building feminist knowledge and they were allowing people to see a variety individual experiences. Another thing that can be done is to understand the cultural, religious, historical and societal context that women live in before trying to understand how they are experiencing oppression. Everyone is raised within these contexts and trying to understand someone else's experiences through the eyes of your own culture, religion, ect. can be misleading. It is important not to try to try to impose U.S. ideals of what feminism is on other people, because these ideas were formed within a particular social structure based on particular issues and may not fit with the situations experiences by other women. I really liked how the lecture mentioned that although we shouldn't impose our ideals on women from other cultures, we can help start discussions about issues and work with others towards a common goal of liberation. I like that the lecture said that it is important to work with other women because it will help all of us. This shows that although there is much difference within the category of women, we can still work together. I think those interested in global feminism shouldn't "help" women from developed countries as if they are inferior and incapable of helping themselves, they should learn about their experiences, have discussions with them and work with them on the plans they have developed. I think it is important to always make sure that the women who are experiencing the oppression are chiefly involved in working towards their own liberation and that it is their needs that are being addressed, not the needs that others think they might have. If others were telling them what they needed and what they should think, that would just be one form of oppression replacing another. On the other hand, bringing up issues for discussion can bring up things that may not have been carefully considered before. Once they are out in the open, women who experience the issues being discusses can put forth their opinions about how they are being affected and use or create feminist frameworks within their own society to address them. At that point others can help work towards the goals that that group has put forth for themselves. Basically I think the two best ways to deal with the identity problem are an understanding of differences and willingness to recognize that the historical U.S. feminist ideals may not work in every context.