[8] D'Eaubonne stated that the ecological events that had occurred since 1974, the year she began writing, had illustrated the necessity of defining the linkage between environmental and feminist struggles, which she calls "the double problem".

[11] D'Eaubonne begins by summarizing the treatment of women across the globe, utilizing "feminitude" to describe the universal tragedy of being a woman, who is discriminated against by male-dominated powers.

[14][15] After establishing this connection, d'Eaubonne calls feminists to action, ordering the integration of their cause with environmentalism to achieve a future of sustainability and equality.

[18][19] Within Feminism or Death, d'Eaubonne compares the discrimination of women to other marginalized groups, including homosexuals, Jews, and Black men.

[20] Critics have argued that the inclusion of this comparison is a dramatic simplification that does not reflect the extent of the oppressive system in modern-day society.