The feminist discourse lacks homogeneity. However, the greatest pitfall of our day has been the tendency and practice to regard the needs and challenges faced by women globally through a single feminist lens: Western feminism.

In 1998, TIME Magazine declared feminism dead. Nearly 15 years later, it wondered if instead, perhaps feminism should be banned. (...) Indeed, it's clear 2014 was a historic one for feminism. Women stood up for their rights, challenged stereotypes, fought for recognition and took control of the dialogue. The following is a non-exhaustive list of some of the most iconic feminist moments this year.

Frozen, the Disney cartoon-musical that swept the US in late 2013 and early 2014, only arrived in Japan in mid-March.  The film's popularity has coincided with public outcry over sexism in Japan, where unlike in America, Disney marketing played up the movie's empowerment message.

Topless demonstrators in Ukraine are part of the self-defined “sextremist” Femen group – radical women protesting the Russian invasion of Crimea. Femen is a stark example of frontline femmes who use their bodies and their voices to fight status quo corruption, war and a political oligarchy.

A Twitter conversation on Asian American feminism using the hashtag #NotYourAsianSidekick quickly became a global discussion aimed at breaking silence around issues faced by Asian communities. Writer Suey Park launched the hashtag, which was used nearly 50,000 times in less than a day.