Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism Summary

Why should women settle for less – economically, socially, or in the bedroom – in systems that prioritize profit over people? Kristen Ghodsee explores how socialism changes the game for women.

1. Democratic Socialism vs. State Socialism: Two Models with Lessons

Democratic socialism and state socialism represent two different pathways societies have used to organize resources and rights. While state socialism, as seen in the USSR and Eastern Bloc nations, imposed economic structures through authoritarian control, democratic socialism thrives on implementing reforms within democratic frameworks. The key differences lie in political freedoms and the focus on welfare systems.

Under state socialism, citizens were provided with guaranteed jobs, public goods such as housing and healthcare, and policies bolstering women's roles in non-traditional fields like science and engineering. Democratic socialism, seen in Scandinavian countries, continues this support but augments it with democratic rights, offering social safety nets that ensure equality without sacrificing political freedoms.

Both systems carry lessons. State socialism's progress in leveling the gender field economically is undeniable, even if marred by its restrictive governance. Scandinavian countries demonstrate how social welfare policies can achieve similar goals ethically, maintaining personal freedoms and promoting gender parity.

Examples

• The USSR had a 49.7% female workforce by 1975, far exceeding numbers in capitalist economies like the U.S.
• Scandinavian countries like Norway mandate a 40% female presence on corporate boards.
• Free childcare under both models allows mothers to remain in the workforce and pursue independence.

2. State Socialism's Encouragement of Women in the Workforce

State socialism pushed for economic inclusion by integrating women into all fields of work. Programs provided universal childcare, education, and healthcare, minimizing caregiving burdens and enabling women to pursue careers traditionally dominated by men. This policy focus created structural gender equity.

Women's economic independence was enhanced by access to education and advanced career paths under these policies. Fields like engineering and STEM saw significant female representation due to state encouragement of women’s participation.

This equity extended beyond the workplace; mothers retained employment amid subsidized childcare and housing. This stood in stark contrast with capitalist countries where many women lost career opportunities after childbirth due to a lack of systemic support.

Examples

• Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, came out of Russia's inclusivity efforts under state socialism.
• Subsidized East German nurseries allowed mothers to juggle parenthood and employment.
• In STEM fields, women represented 50% of engineers and technical specialists in the USSR by 1989.

3. Capitalism’s Bias: Statistical Discrimination Against Women

Under capitalism, women face systemic financial inequity through "statistical discrimination." Employers assume women are likelier to leave work for childcare, discouraging equal pay and hiring practices. This perpetuates pre-existing disparity as women earn less, forcing compromises in their careers.

Women financially depend on male partners due to wage gaps and childcare responsibilities. This dependence feeds into stereotypes of women as less committed employees. The cycle reinforces itself as lower pay keeps women out of leadership roles and the broader economy.

This phenomenon doesn’t just affect mothers. Even child-free women experience workplace discrimination, unable to escape implicit biases baked into hiring and salary decisions.

Examples

• Women in the U.S. earn approximately 82 cents for every dollar men earn, largely due to gendered assumptions about reliability.
• Employers penalize gaps in résumés, a common reality for mothers returning after caregiving.
• Countries like Iceland combat this with pay-transparency laws that push for equality.

4. Double Burdens Increase Burnout

Capitalist societies burden mothers with disproportionate responsibilities in both paid and unpaid work. Women are more likely to carry household responsibilities alongside professional demands, also known as the “double burden.” This imbalance often affects career trajectories and mental well-being.

Returning to the workforce after childbirth often involves dealing with career interruptions. Catching up on lost time only doubles the stress when coupled with domestic caregiving roles. For many women, the toll is too high, leading them to reduce work hours or leave their jobs altogether, further limiting economic power.

A lack of equitable caregiving duties between genders aggravates this further, ensuring that labor inequalities persist while men often advance unaffected.

Examples

• Data shows women spend twice as many hours as men on unpaid caregiving work, globally.
• A sick child often pulls working mothers out of the office more than fathers.
• Burnout causes women to exit the workforce, cutting available leadership pipelines in industries.

5. The Cost of Leaving Work: Résumé Gaps Haunt Women

Under capitalism, quitting work for maternity leave doesn’t just mean reduced income—it leaves a lasting scar on career progression. Résumé gaps, even if justified by caregiving, penalize women when they re-enter the workforce.

Employers often view resume gaps unfavorably, interpreting them as signals of unreliability. Women who take career breaks also lose out on skill development and networking opportunities, pushing them into lower paying, less demanding roles upon return.

This often suppresses women’s lifetime earnings, degrading their financial autonomy and making them disproportionately reliant on their partners.

Examples

• Studies show mothers who take multiple years off lose up to 30% of their earning potential.
• American daycare prices force mothers to work at little-to-no net gain, as one professor found herself earning just 70 cents a month after childcare expenses.
• Resuming work late results in women being shunted into underpaid jobs, rarely regaining previous roles.

6. Market Forces: Women Are Undervalued in Neoliberalism

Neoliberal economies exacerbate inequality by treating labor as just another commodity subject to supply and demand. Women’s work is undervalued, and traditional caregiving responsibilities devalue both their paid and unpaid contributions.

Because exploitation is woven into neoliberalism's ethos, care work—which cannot be easily monetized—is taken for granted unless outsourced. As unpaid workers, women bear the economic brunt of modern family life—all while struggling to secure fair pay in the professional sphere.

Government inaction worsens this inequality. With no universal guarantees around fair pay, personal profits take precedence over social equity.

Examples

• The U.S. lacks paid maternity leave at a federal level, leaving caregivers unsupported.
• Scandinavian nations enforce quotas and support childcare, showcasing an alternative.
• Traditional roles in households reinforce belief systems where men control economic power.

7. Democratic Socialism Fixes Gender Imbalance in Leadership

Quotas are one successful method employed by democratic socialism to increase the participation of women in leadership roles across both government and private corporations. By introducing mandatory quotas, societies achieve measurable progress toward gender equity.

This challenges outdated ideas of meritocracy where fewer women in corporate pipelines are blamed for leadership scarcity. Ensuring equity at high levels diversifies perspectives and paves the way for broader women’s empowerment.

Enforcement makes these policies workable; as demonstrated in Europe, voluntary quotas have limited success while mandatory ones lead to better results.

Examples

• Norway achieves nearly 42% female board representation under mandatory quotas.
• German companies lag behind with fewer than 26% women without similar mandates.
• U.S. Congress sees less than 20% women representation—less than any Scandinavian country.

8. Women’s Unpaid Labor Fuels Neoliberalism

Systems like childcare, elderly care, and household chores hinge on unpaid female labor. These tasks are essential for sustaining the economy, but capitalism benefits by neglecting them. In neoliberal economies, families—usually women—shoulder these responsibilities for the system's gain.

This dynamic keeps women economically reliant on partners. By funding state childcare or healthcare programs, governments would shift this burden—but again, neoliberal policies resist such interventions.

Decades of neoliberal policies degrade economic equity for women. Democratic socialism showcases how providing these social programs shrinks disparities.

Examples

• Women work 3.2 trillion hours yearly as unpaid laborers worldwide, per the UN.
• Neoliberal societies like the U.S. see wide pay gaps due to such inequity.
• State-paid childcare allows Scandinavian women to remain financially independent.

9. Better Sex Under Socialism

Finally, studies tie macro-scale gender equality with intimate satisfaction. Women in socialist East Germany saw more fulfilling relationships because they weren’t tethered by economic dependency. As equals, they had more freedom to demand better relationships—and better intimacy.

Comparative data between socialist and capitalist regimes shows East German women reported higher satisfaction in marriage and sex. This further highlights how egalitarian systems promote healthier personal dynamics.

Economic independence empowers women to walk away from unsatisfactory relationships, forcing male partners to reciprocate effort and respect.

Examples

• 82% of East German women reported post-sex happiness versus 52% in West Germany.
• Higher divorce rates in East Germany often resulted from women’s initiations.
• Access to childcare meant fewer sacrifices for professional goals.

Takeaways

1. Advocate for policies mandating subsidized childcare and universal paid parental leave to support working parents and reduce gender disparities.
2. Push for quotas to ensure equal representation of women in leadership roles across all sectors.
3. Educate others on the hidden economic contributions of unpaid labor and promote its equitable valuation.