The song's lyrics describe the difficulties women face in life, allowing Cherry to be seen as an empowering female recording artist.

Released on 22 July 1996 by Hut and Virgin, "Woman" became a chart hit in Europe and Australia, reaching the top 10 in Finland, Hungary, Iceland, the United Kingdom, and the Wallonia region of Belgium.

"[2] Eithne from Melody Maker viewed it as "a comment on male bullishness and the bitter way history has Tried erasing me, made with brooding strings and rockish guitars buried deep in the mix.

"[5] Writing for NME, Dele Fadele noted that the singer's "forages into soul possess an irreverence that lift otherwise earnest pastiches", stating that "Woman" rewrites Brown's song as a "feminist tract".

[6] British columnist James Masterton called "Woman" one of Cherry's best tracks up to that point, complimenting its mood and writing that it "beats the pants off anything she has released before".