It is an aspect of feminist theology which seeks to advance and understand the equality of men and women morally, socially, spiritually, and in leadership from a Buddhist perspective.
"[1] Parallels between Buddhism and feminist understanding of equality between race, gender, class, sexuality and nationality have only recently begun to be explored.
Buddhism's belief in understanding the truth of reality through practicing spiritual development has been deemed beneficial to feminist theory, particularly when compared to other religions.
Their creation of a marginalized community in response to opposing the androcentric order of Buddhism isolated nuns to their respective region and separates them from other places.
[4] Buddhist nun movements in the last few decades have an organizing emphasis on crossing racial and ethnic boundaries across language differences, tying opposing cultural viewpoints.
[5] Through research, Darcie Price-Wallace highlights how Tibetan nuns reflect sentiments of feminism through the full ordination of female Buddhists.
However, she also addresses the overemphasis and over-reliance on Buddhism being a strictly egalitarian religion despite conflicting teachings, like how bhikkhunis are expected to bow to male junior monastics regardless of age or experience.
[9] Ecofeminism has been argued by Buddhist feminists like Rita Gross to be an analysis on the intersectionality of oppression regarding gender, class, and environmentalism.
Historical accounts, primarily from Western missionaries, condemned Dakinis for their “exuberant sensuality and absence of clothing,” branding them prostitutes.