[1] The book follows case studies about women at the front line of feminist, socialist and political movements across eleven countries in the East: Egypt, Iran, Turkey, India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia,[2] that share a history of direct assault and hostility by imperialist regimes interested in subjugating their territory and indirect exploitation in instilling the enslavement schemes of these regimes.

In the 1980s, Kumari was arranging teaching material for the women and development program at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands as a visiting scholar.

[5] Feminism and Nationalism in the Third World begins by introducing the countries it selects to focus on: Egypt, Iran, Turkey, India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia.

[6] Kumari analyses how the common history of colonial rule has shaped these countries through similar experiences but also points out the differences in their belief systems: Egypt, Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan share Islamic history; India and Sri Lanka err towards beliefs based on Buddhism; Chinese, Japanese and Korean ideals are rooted in Confucius's philosophy and the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia have been dominated by both: Indian and Chinese influences.

[6] Kumari explores how the expansion of capitalism through colonisation in these societies led to the creation of a class of 'local bourgeoise' – commission agents, allies of the settlers, traders who were unsatisfied with the terms of asymmetric trading relations and intellectuals and professionals who had studied abroad or at modern schools.

[6] She discusses the common strategies through which self-rule was achieved; modernization of societies, demolition of conventional structures such as the ruling monarchies and religious institutions, and lastly, imbuing masses with nationalist sentiments.

[6] Kumari illustrates how these efforts led to the abolishment of sati or widow burning in India, rapid industrialization of Japan resulting in increased economic participation of women who were a cheap form of labour, the installation of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in lieu of the Ottoman empire in Turkey – prompting secularization and a ban on the veil, issues such as concubinage and polygamy being raised in Egypt and similarly, the questioning of 'foot-binding' practices in China.

[6] Kumari structured the book such that detailed case studies from each country document the development of feminist consciousness by weaving tales of heroic women.

[3] The book has been published in paperback, hardcover, e-book and a kindle edition:[5] Paperback: Hardcover: E-book: Kindle editions: Arabic version: Feminism and Nationalism in the Third World was reviewed by Caroline Ramazanoglu for the Women's Studies International Forum who criticizes the lack of in-depth research regarding certain countries as opposed to others and how information is organised in a scattered manner in certain chapters but attributes this to the broad range of countries covered.

[15] The review points to the historic significance of upper and middle-class women's access to literature in influencing the contents of the book and the work is further criticized for a lack of explicit explanation regarding the interconnected of the economy, the politics and the family.

[15] According to English socialist feminist Sheila Rowbotham,[16] Feminism and Nationalism in the Third World "remains the best introduction to the history of women's movements in Turkey, Egypt, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan".