Misdirected feminism is a notion that, to varying degrees, discredits oppression experienced by first-world women. It is highly reliant on the following bases:
- Sexism is over in the US/Europe/first world and/or
- "You don't get to complain because bigger issues exist"
Claims of first-world feminists misdirecting their efforts, sometimes paired with accusations of downright selfishness, are used as a Silencing and Derailing tactic. A closely related argument is "Many bad things in the world", which implies that since issues more severe than sexism (such as world hunger or wars) exist, feminism should not be focused on too much.
Usually, misdirected feminism is applied by privileged residents of developed nations, who are actually being patronizing towards people in developing nations. Also see: Nothing about us without us.