The Fight For Equality

Women have been fighting for equality for years. In this male dominated world, the female portion of society struggles to find jobs where equal pay is given for the same amount of work. Though Canada has come a long way in recent years, we still face problems of sexism in the work place. Marxist-feminists argue that the world’s economic development of capitalism is contradicting the liberation of women (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2004).

As society became more complex, the labor force was divided differently and the relationships between men and women began to follow the patriarchy lifestyle. “Many Marxist-feminists thinkers… have done cross-cultural and historical studies for earlier forms of kinship and economy and the role of the sexual or gender division of labour in supporting or undermining women’s social power” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2004). As farming equipment became easier to use and as science strives forward for discoveries, women were left to watch the household and men began to control the work place. Women started to not only have no say in society, but men began to feel like they were the rulers and women were seen as nothing more than property and reproductive means. The start of the industrial era was the beginning of women losing their equality.

Though Marxists believe that social change cannot happen without equality as well as other conditions being met, they don’t blame individuals as a fault. Marxists claim “… the term ‘social problem’ mystifies structural issues of inequality…” (Mullaly, 2007). Therefore, Marxists believe that society’s development of capitalism is to blame for the female inequality. Society has created this view of women making this trend of thinking difficult to overcome.

Therefore, women began to revolt. It took three waves, but the equality slowly came into view. In a Marxist society the employers would fight for all interest of their employees starting with those who are oppressed the most, often being poor and minority women. Without equality women miss out on spending time with their family because lower wages cause them to work longer hours. Marxist encourages women to join and participate in unions that have equal rights and responsibilities. They strongly believe that society needs to change or these complications in society will hurt everyone, not only women.

~Joelle





Reference list:

Mullaly, B. (2007). The new structural social work. Canada: Oxford University

Press.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (October 2004). Feminist perspectives on

class and work. Retrieved from

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-class/