What is Female public intellectuals?

Female public intellectuals refers to female intellectuals active within the public sphere. Although the term "public intellectual" has traditionally remained non gender specific, it historically continues to be a role predominantly occupied by men. There are a number of explanations for the lack of female public intellectuals as compared to their male counterparts. These explanations address issues such as institutionalized discrimination within the academy, the problems which arise from female intellectuals who strongly advocate feminist ideology and theory and the impact of the media and academy in the conceptualization of "woman as her body".