Chaining of Women to the Home

From then until now the man has been the breadwinner and as such the head of the household. The woman's primary role has been to have his children although at times, especially in families that are less well off, she too has had to work to get the basic necessities. As women have entered social production they have realised their particular exploitation. To free men for their role in social production, women have served as unpaid housekeepers—providing the meals, keeping the home clean, doing the washing and so on. This is seen as inferior work, lowering the dignity of man if he is called upon to do it. Her work is socially necessary, but is unpaid and has no value in capitalism.

The children understand the power relationship in the family, the supremacy of male over female, and thus these attitudes are handed down across the generations. The womans role, with all its contradictions, is reflected in the general culture and beliefs of society. For example in the 13th century the same society that sanctified motherhood also disputed whether women had a soul. Similarly today, the Catholic church which has recently reaffirmed their opposition to women entering the priesthood nevertheless thinks that even women who have been raped or are poor can heroically overcome their problems and give an unplanned baby the care it needs.

It is obvious that this state of affairs benefits certain people. The employers in this country have not used the power and wealth they possess to help create the conditions that would increase the equality of women. Instead they have exploited womens traditionally inferior role to their own advantage. The fact that women have to take on the job of childrearing within their private houses means that the community does not have to spend the money to provide quality child care centres. It is the employers, the capitalists, who benefit most from this since they have provided themselves with a future generation of workers at the smallest possible cost. Similarly the role women take on as a housewife leads to isolation from society and from social production. This often leads to a lack of confidence on the part of the women which employers can later exploit when she reenters the workforce. Women are often scared to approach the supervisor, make a complaint, or go to the union—ideal employees!!

There is also a certain proportion of men who benefit from the status quo. Although it appears that more men are doing an equal share of the housework when both partners are working, there are still many who don't. Unfortunately there are still plenty of men who believe that a woman's place is in the home rather than out working with some financial independence.