Indisputably, the exploitation of women under capitalism is deeply rooted in the class structure of society and the economic system itself, and even a rudimentary class analysis quickly reveals how capitalism perpetuates and benefits from the oppression of women, particularly working-class women.
Under capitalism women must battle with the dual yoke of oppression. As workers, they are often relegated to low-wage, precarious jobs and are overrepresented in sectors like care work, retail, and the service industries: industries that are systematically undervalued and underpaid, even while being described as essential in times of crisis. This productive labour exploitation only mirrors the private reproductive labour exploitation that happens in the home.
The structure of the family under capitalism, a place where men are told to expect respite from the cold cruelties of the world, hides the sinister fact that it also acts as a privatised solution to social reproduction. The sanctity of the family is, in actuality, about shifting the costs of what should be the collective raising of the next generation of workers, onto the workers themselves, with women in particular being assigned primary responsibility for domestic work and caregiving. The reasoning is tied to their ability to give birth. This unpaid work again is devalued and hidden, along with the dismissal of the physical costs of pregnancy and birthing, reinforcing women’s subordinate position in society.
These responsibilities, accepted or not, consistently keep women time-poor and intentionally limit their ability to participate fully in political activities where they could organise to challenge this exploitation. The division of labour is not natural but socially constructed to serve capitalist interests and is one that women cannot battle alone. Men must take up the struggle with us, and share the burden before we cast it off, together.
But this call to arms and a living in true partnership means that men must recognise the role they play in maintaining the oppression of women, in their own lives, workplaces and homes, as well as how they have been indoctrinated by capitalism to overlook and belittle women, directly and indirectly.
Capitalism commodifies everything, including women. From mundane advertising to the sex industry itself, women’s bodies are turned into profit-generating commodities. This commodification and dehumanisation of women reinforces the idea that women’s bodies exist for male consumption and control and assists in the normalisation of violence against women. Gender-based violence (GBV) is a manifestation of that gutless patriarchal notion of men’s ownership of women, a perceived, false “right” of men to control women, and is used as a tool of oppression under capitalism.
The risk of GBV, as well as GBV itself, serves to maintain women’s subordination by instilling fear, limiting their autonomy, and restricting their participation in public life. This control, though enacted on an individual basis, is systemic in nature. GBV disciplines the entire working class: women who face violence at home may be unable to leave due to financial dependence on their abusers, women who face harassment in the workplace are financially dependent on that wage and employers can at best be unsympathetic and at worst, intentionally use harassment to keep workers docile and afraid. A woman kept afraid of men, of the night-time, of being cowed, of being blamed if victimised, will minimise herself, her voice, and her life to protect herself. This is fear and it is intentionally exacerbated under capitalism by weak social safety nets, non-existent or limited supports and a justice system that frequently dismisses cases of domestic violence, treats sexual assault and harassment with disgusting leniency, leaving survivors without justice. As we know, even in the aftermath of Repeal and the truth of the Magdalene laundries being revealed, the state still attempts to use coercive control over women’s reproductive rights to ensure that women remain tied to their roles as caregivers.
The exploitation of women of course, is not uniform; it intersects with other forms of oppression, such as racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc. Working-class women, from these additionally oppressed communities, face compounded exploitation. Migrant women often perform the most exploitative and precarious jobs, with limited access to and often little or no knowledge of legal protections. Women from marginalised communities face heightened levels of GBV and this violence is often ignored or minimised by the state, reflecting a systemic devaluation of their lives. But capitalism thrives on these false hierarchies, using divisions among the working class such as gender, race, sexuality, and nationality to weaken solidarity and maintain control.
There is no such thing as a women’s issue to be tackled by women; rather, it is a worker’s issue. An issue where we must examine our place in that struggle and oppression, acknowledging our shared responsibility to fight as one against it.
Capitalism cannot be reformed to address gender oppression because gender oppression is intertwined with capitalist exploitation. To liberate women, we must dismantle the capitalist system that oppresses the entire working class and move to create a society based on equality, collective ownership, and the socialisation of reproductive labour. Universal access to healthcare, for all healthcare needs, at all stages of life; housing for all, that is reflective of a family’s or person’s need; free childcare, available without judgement or limitation for every child, and a living wage will not just aid in liberating women, but everyone.
In the words of bell hooks: “You are not going to destroy this imperialist, white supremacist, capitalist patriarchy by creating your own version of it.” This International Working Women’s Day do not just celebrate women and our achievements, work towards freeing us and yourself.
