The Relationship Between Feminism and Capitalism

Capitalism is a socio-economic system based on capital and the means of production along with a profit driven approach. Adam Smith, an 18th century Scottish economist, laid the foundations of modern capitalism in The Wealth of Nations (1776). He is often considered as the "father of modern economics." His work outlined principles of free market, self interest, and specialization, in short, a society built upon competition. The Industrial Revolution which was inspired by the same ideas boomed production in Europe, transforming economic landscapes. However, the industrial capitalism caused severe income inequality in Europe; the rich became richer and the poor became poorer. Common people were distressed due to poverty and under the absolute power of the church and monarchies. Soon, the Europeans became enraged against these systems.

Class Struggles Against the Monarchs

Low quality of life and high inflation paved the way to major revolutions in Europe. The French Revolution of 1789 was among the first, followed by revolutions in the 1820s in Spain, Portugal, Russia and Italy. The age of revolutions began from 1830 to 1848, with French revolutions again playing a pivotal role. These revolutions were often combinations of violent protests and riots led by the elite capitalist class, as stated by Marx.

Philosophers like Karl Marx and Frederick Engels wrote and published the Communist Manifesto in 1848 which was written in 1847, exploring and popularizing ideas of socialism and communism. They theorized about the bourgeois class, or the ruling class, and the proletariat class, or the working class. In fact, the European revolutions by the working class against the ruling class were inspired by liberalism and socialist ideas way before the Manifesto was published!

Women and Class Struggle

Working conditions were harsh, with significant risk of diseases. Moreover, women were often paid less than men. What was the reason? Simply because she was a woman. Pressure existed at the household level too, with childcare and long working hours. Household chores constituted unpaid labor, while even industrial work meant low wage labor. A theoretical critique points out the expectation by capitalists that women breed more children in the name of family values. The reality was that more children meant more workers to be exploited. Even today, billionaires are among the loudest ones making the same demand.

The circumstances under which working women were living, naturally infuriated them back then. Hence, they became active participants in European revolutions. In the French Revolution of 1789, women stormed bakeries and other shops, protesting the high price of bread and its scarcity. The Women's March on Versailles to the palace of King Louis XVI became one of the most iconic events. In other revolutions too, women took on a variety of roles, joining revolutionary armies and forming political clubs like the Society of Revolutionary and Republican Women. They hosted salons to discuss philosophical and political ideas. Women contributed to revolutionary discourse through anonymous or published works, like Mercy Otis Warren's plays and Hannah Griffitts' poems, which critiqued political figures and advocated for causes like boycotting British goods.

The Case of American Civil War

In the USA, the land of the "free," slavery was once legal throughout. Slowly, it was criminalized in certain states in the North, called the free states, but it remained legal and alive in the Southern states, called the slave states. Slavery impacted women disproportionately, as they were victims of sexual violence, domestic servitude, and forced labor. Women represent 71% of all victims in the modern era of human trafficking.

European countries had already begun abolishing slavery, yet it remained controversial in the USA. Abraham Lincoln, unlike others, was brave enough to be open about slavery being a moral evil. When he became the president in 1861, however, initially he believed that he did not have the constitutional authority to unilaterally ban slavery. Southern states, broke away from USA and formed an independent Confederacy together, sparking a brutal civil war from April 12, 1861 to April 9, 1865. During the entirety of the war, female slaves fought too along with their male counterparts, serving as spies and even disguising themselves as men. In the end, the Confederacy was forced to surrender and the union won! Slavery was finally abolished. The black working class, particularly black women, were liberated from the horrors of the slave trade and slavery! Even Karl Marx praised Lincoln for his anti slavery cause and had sent him a letter congratulating him on his re-election in 1864. No wonder Lincoln is widely considered the best president in US history.

Russian Revolution

In Russia, conditions under the Tsar were really poor, with famines widespread. It was no hidden fact that conditions for women were worse for the same reasons as discussed above. In 1914, Europe was pushed into World War I, and Russia joined on the side of the Triple Entente, which included France and Britain, against the Central Powers, consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. The war turned out to be a disaster for Russia and the Tsar's popularity tumbled. The famous Russian communist revolutionary, Lenin, who previously living in exile in Europe, returned in a German sealed train. Meanwhile, the February Revolution began in 1917 with working class women protesting against food shortages. The October Revolution of 1917 saw the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, come to power in a coup d'état. Free elections were held in November, but the Bolsheviks did not win a majority. Still, they established single party rule by overthrowing the provisional government.

The flame of the Russian Civil War ignited, which was a multifaceted conflict between the Red Army (the Bolshevik communists) and the White Army, a diverse coalition of anti-communists including monarchists, liberals, and socialists. The war ended in 1922 with Lenin's victory and on December 30, the Soviet Union was established. Lenin had implemented The New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1921 which was a temporary Soviet economic policy allowing a limited return to capitalism to revive the country's economy. Lenin, however, died in 1924 due to severe health issues, and was replaced by the brutal tyrant Stalin, who undid Lenin's NEP. His policies deviated significantly from core Marxist teachings. Many often consider Stalin's government to be a state capitalism. Working conditions reverted to exploitation. Despite official communist policy and legislation, women were still underpaid. The first experiment of potential communism failed without the CIA's involvement!

Rise of Neo Liberalism

Neo liberalism emerged in the 1970s as an economic and political philosophy that favors free markets, deregulation, privatization, and minimal government intervention. The US and UK, by the 1980s, began implementing tax cuts and free markets. In Chile, after the 1973 coup, similar developments occurred. India adopted similar LPG policies in 1991. The term neoliberal feminism emerged supporting women's empowerment within the same structures. They argued that this approach helps women with economic and financial stability. In the modern day, Taylor Swift is often cited as an example of neoliberal feminism, a form of empowerment achieved within, rather than against, capitalist structures

Critics, including Marxist feminists, however, argue that Taylor Swift, while successful and talented, is still a billionaire and extracts benefit from the same system which is known to exploit workers. They contend that neo liberalism is a stage of capitalism that reinforces it. The reinforcement of capitalism implies the exploitation of female labor in ways similar to those in medieval and modern times.

Moreover, capitalism has often commodified feminism for personal gain in modern times. Labels like "girl-boss" feminism are pretty common in feminist chambers. This commodification results in feminism losing its political essence, and, as stated previously, is counterproductive.

Final Thoughts

Capitalism as a system is designed within patriarchal constructs to feed the interests of men in power. From the perspective of radical feminism, the system must be dismantled because it does more harm to others than good. The top 10 billionaires own more wealth than the combined wealth of the remaining world. They have the capability to end world hunger and poverty if they wish to, especially in areas of conflict like Africa and the Middle East, yet they choose not to. True gender equality cannot exist within a system built on exploitation.