3 - Marxist Feminism

• Marxist Feminist

  Gender inequality arises primarily from the nature of capitalist society rather than independent patriarchy. Capitalism intensifies patriarchal inequalities to benefit their own interests.
• Women and men will not be equal until society is classless.
• Women are:

  • Cheap labour force (unequal pay)
  • Reserve army of labour (sacked in recession, reemployed in prosperity)
  • Free labour (unpaid domestic care)
  • Expressive role - absorbs men's frustration with exploitation at work and keeping capitalism stable by caring for the future workforce (Parsons - warm bath theory)
• Capitalism is the root cause of inequality so to improve women's positions, fundamental changes must be made to capitalism.
• Ansley


  'women are takers of shit'
• Barrett


  Domination of men over women echoes the domination of capitalism over workers. Ideology that women want to be housewives and mothers must change.
• Economic Control


  Until the 1970s, men earnt more than women and their labour was worth more. Now we have the Equal Pay Act. Routine devaluing of female employee skills and segregation of the workplace - seen as 'women's work' with negative connotations.
• Fawcett Society (2010)


  Women earn 17% less than men on average.
• Evaluation of Marxist feminism:

  • Marxists like Engels would agree as women reproduce the workforce and reserve army of labour but is not critical of the exploitation of women.
  • Considered outdated as there has been changes in family and women's employment.