Women’s Labour and Capital Accumulation

Abstract

In this chapter, we challenge some of the assertions of Marx’s feminist critics necessitating a synthesis between Marxism and Feminism in order to better understand women’s domestic labour. Although these critics often acknowledge the relevance of Marxian analysis of the original accumulation of capital and absolute surplus value, they claim that “classical Marxism” has ignored women’s domestic labour which the feminists have emphasized.¹ Feminist critics of Marx often refer to Marx’s “shortcomings” in terms of his “patriarchal bias.” We have significant reservations concerning such analysis and critique of the “Marxist theory.” To examine such claims, we shall leave aside the “post-Marx Marxists” and exclusively draw upon Marx’s own texts.