The introduction focuses on the category of ‘women artists’ in France, which is considered in light of the book’s title, Counterpractice. This chapter sheds light on the internationalism of the French women’s movement and presents a global view of French feminism as a brand with emphasis on Africa, Asia and Latin America. The history of the 1970s women’s press and the scholarship and exhibition histories concerning women artists are discussed. The core concept of the glissade is presented as a mechanism in which to read women’s art practice against multiple political and aesthetic contexts of the period.