In recent years, socialism has been gaining more attention and supporters, especially among younger generations facing economic challenges. While advocates claim socialism could solve issues like unemployment and inequality, one surprising argument is that it leads to better sex for women. This may seem far-fetched at first glance, but it's just one aspect of how socialism could potentially improve women's lives across many areas.
"Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism" by Kristen Ghodsee explores the ways in which socialist policies and systems can benefit women, from their romantic relationships to their professional lives. The book examines both historical examples of state socialism as well as modern democratic socialist societies to make the case that socialist approaches lead to greater gender equality and improved outcomes for women.
Understanding Socialism
Before diving into the arguments, it's important to clarify what we mean by "socialism," as the term can refer to very different systems and ideas.
State Socialism vs Democratic Socialism
Historically, there have been two main varieties of real-world socialist societies:
State socialism - This refers to the authoritarian one-party states of the former Eastern Bloc during the Cold War, including the USSR, East Germany, Poland, etc. These regimes controlled the economy through state-run enterprises and central planning. While they limited political freedoms, they also provided extensive social welfare programs.
Democratic socialism - This describes the approach taken by modern Scandinavian countries like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. These are democratic multi-party systems that respect political rights while also providing generous social programs to ensure a high standard of living for all citizens.
The book advocates for democratic socialism rather than authoritarian state socialism. However, it argues there are still lessons we can learn from examining both types of systems, taking the positives while avoiding the negatives of each approach.
Women Under State Socialism
While the authoritarian socialist regimes of the Eastern Bloc had many serious flaws and human rights violations, they also implemented some policies that benefited women in ways that were ahead of their capitalist counterparts.
Economic Inclusion and Support for Working Mothers
The socialist states made concerted efforts to integrate women into the workforce and economy:
- Guaranteed employment for all citizens, including women
- Promotion of women in fields like science, engineering, medicine, and academia
- Free healthcare, childcare, and higher education
- Subsidized housing, transportation, food, and other necessities
This created an environment where women could more easily balance work and family responsibilities. For example, an East German mother would have access to free childcare, allowing her to continue her career without becoming economically dependent on a male partner.
Achievements of Women
These policies enabled women to make significant strides in areas where they lagged behind in capitalist countries:
- In 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space, 20 years before American Sally Ride
- By 1975, women made up nearly 50% of the Soviet workforce, compared to only 37% in North America
- By 1989, 50% of engineering and technical specialists in the USSR were women
While state socialism had many failings, its policies supporting women's economic participation and independence were in many ways ahead of their time compared to capitalist societies of the era.
Women's Economic Challenges Under Capitalism
In contrast to the supportive policies for working women under state socialism, capitalist systems present a number of economic challenges and disadvantages for women.
Statistical Discrimination
One key issue is statistical discrimination by employers. Since women are statistically more likely to leave the workforce due to childbirth and childcare responsibilities, employers tend to offer women lower pay and fewer opportunities, even if an individual woman has no plans for children. This creates a vicious cycle:
- Women are paid less on average
- In heterosexual couples, it makes more financial sense for the woman to quit her job for childcare
- This reinforces the perception that women are more likely to leave jobs
- Leading to even lower pay for women on average
The "Mommy Track" and Resume Gaps
Women who do have children face difficult choices that can derail their careers:
- Taking time off work leads to resume gaps that make it harder to get rehired or advance
- Returning to work means paying for expensive private childcare that can eat up most of their salary
- The "double burden" of balancing work and primary childcare responsibilities leads to burnout
This "mommy track" phenomenon pushes many women out of the workforce or into lower-paying part-time roles, further widening the gender pay gap.
The High Cost of Motherhood
The lack of support for working mothers in capitalist systems imposes major economic penalties on women who have children:
- Lost income during unpaid maternity leave
- Expensive private childcare costs
- Reduced earning potential and career advancement due to work disruptions
- Increased economic dependence on male partners
The author gives the example of an American professor who only took home 70 cents per month after taxes and childcare costs when she returned to work after having a baby. But quitting would mean losing her career momentum and becoming financially dependent on her husband.
Neoliberalism and Gender Inequality
The book argues that neoliberal capitalist policies exacerbate gender inequality by leaving people, especially women, vulnerable to market forces without government intervention or support.
What is Neoliberalism?
Neoliberalism refers to free-market capitalist policies that aim to minimize government involvement in the economy through:
- Privatizing state-run industries and services
- Reducing regulations on businesses
- Cutting funding for public services and social programs
- Avoiding the creation of new government programs
The result is that individuals are left to fend for themselves in the face of market forces, without strong social safety nets or worker protections.
How Neoliberalism Disadvantages Women
This neoliberal approach creates several challenges for women:
No mandated paid maternity leave or subsidized childcare, forcing difficult choices between career and family
Lack of government intervention to address pay gaps or workplace discrimination
Women become economically dependent on male partners due to lower pay and career disruptions
Vulnerability to market forces that undervalue women's labor due to statistical discrimination and sexism
Unpaid care work (childcare, elder care, etc.) falls disproportionately on women when the government doesn't provide support
The "Free Market" Perpetuates Inequality
Without strong government policies to ensure equal treatment, market forces tend to perpetuate and even benefit from gender inequality:
- Employers favor male workers who are seen as more reliable/valuable
- Women's labor is in less demand and paid less on average
- Unpaid care work by women provides economic value without compensation
- Lack of family support keeps women economically dependent on jobs/partners
The book argues that only active government intervention through socialist policies can effectively counteract these market forces that disadvantage women.
Quotas and Representation
While state socialist countries made strides in women's workforce participation, they largely failed to put women in top leadership positions. In contrast, modern democratic socialist countries have used quotas to ensure women's representation in positions of power.
The Power of Mandatory Quotas
Scandinavian countries have implemented mandatory quotas for women's representation on corporate boards and in government:
- Norway requires 40% of corporate board seats be held by women
- As a result, 42% of Norwegian corporate board seats were held by women in 2016
- Scandinavian parliaments had 37-48% women representatives in 2015
This compares very favorably to countries without mandatory quotas:
- Only 26% of board seats held by women in Germany with voluntary quotas
- 21% of US corporate board seats held by women in 2016
- 19% of US Congress seats held by women in 2015
Government Intervention is Necessary
The stark difference in outcomes shows that:
- Private enterprises do not solve gender inequality issues on their own
- Voluntary measures are not as effective as mandatory quotas
- Active government policies are needed to put women in leadership roles
While the authoritarian socialist states failed in this area, democratic socialist approaches have succeeded in dramatically increasing women's representation in both business and politics.
Unpaid Care Work Under Capitalism
The book argues that neoliberal capitalism actually benefits from and relies upon women performing unpaid care work, particularly childcare.
The Essential Nature of Care Work
From a capitalist perspective, childcare is necessary to produce the future workforce. Children need to be raised and cared for to become productive adult workers. However, providing this care is expensive.
Offloading Costs onto Women
Rather than having the government or employers bear the cost of childcare, neoliberal systems push it onto individuals, particularly women:
- No mandated paid parental leave
- Lack of public childcare services
- Insufficient childcare subsidies
This forces parents (usually mothers) to either:
- Pay for expensive private childcare
- Leave the workforce to provide unpaid care themselves
How Capitalism Benefits
By not providing childcare support, the capitalist system gets the benefit of this essential care work without having to pay for it:
- Future workers are raised and cared for
- Women's unpaid labor provides economic value
- Businesses don't have to offer costly benefits
- Government avoids expense of public services
Similar dynamics play out with elder care and care for the chronically ill, which also falls disproportionately on women when public services are lacking.
Impact on Romantic Relationships
The economic inequality and dependence created by neoliberal capitalist systems has negative impacts on women's romantic relationships, particularly with male partners.
Lack of Equal Footing
In a healthy relationship, partners should meet as equals. But under capitalism, heterosexual women often enter relationships at an economic disadvantage:
- Lower earning potential than male partners
- More unpaid care responsibilities
- Greater likelihood of career disruptions
This creates an unequal power dynamic from the start.
Economic Dependence and Relationship Quality
If a woman becomes economically dependent on a male partner, especially after having children, it can trap her in unsatisfying or even abusive relationships:
- Harder to leave due to lack of financial resources
- Partner may take advantage of the power imbalance
- Woman has less leverage to demand equal treatment
Without strong social support systems, leaving a bad relationship becomes much more difficult and costly for women.
Impact on Intimacy
This inequality and dependence can negatively impact sexual and emotional intimacy:
- Women may feel obligated rather than enthusiastic about sex
- Less ability to advocate for their own needs and desires
- Resentment over unequal domestic labor can reduce attraction
Overall, the capitalist system's creation of gender inequality bleeds over into the bedroom, reducing sexual and relationship satisfaction for women.
The East German Sex Study
To support the claim that socialism leads to better sex for women, the book cites some fascinating studies comparing East and West Germany during the Cold War period.
A Natural Experiment
The division of Germany created a unique opportunity to compare two similar populations living under very different systems:
- Socialist East Germany with strong support for working women
- Capitalist West Germany with more traditional gender roles
This allowed researchers to examine how the different systems impacted romantic and sexual relationships.
Greater Independence for East German Women
In East Germany, women were:
- More integrated into the workforce
- Less economically dependent on men
- Had access to childcare, housing support, etc.
- More able to leave unsatisfying relationships
This created a dynamic where men had to be more attentive to their female partners' needs and desires.
The Results: More Satisfying Sex
Multiple studies between 1988 and 1992 found that East German women reported greater sexual satisfaction than West German women:
- 82% of East German women reported being happy after sex vs 52% of West German women
- East German women reported having orgasms more frequently (80% vs 63% in one study)
The researchers concluded that the greater equality and independence of women in the socialist system led to more satisfying intimate relationships and sex lives.
The Case for Democratic Socialism
While the book examines both state socialist and capitalist systems, its ultimate argument is in favor of democratic socialism as the best approach for women's equality and wellbeing.
Learning from the Past
We can take lessons from both systems:
- State socialism showed the benefits of women's economic inclusion and strong social support
- But it failed to put women in top leadership roles and restricted political freedoms
- Capitalism enables political freedom but perpetuates gender inequality
Democratic socialism aims to combine the best elements while avoiding the pitfalls of each approach.
Key Policies to Support Women
The book advocates for socialist policies like:
- Guaranteed paid parental leave
- Free or subsidized public childcare
- Equal pay laws with strong enforcement
- Quotas for women's representation in business and government
- Robust social safety net (healthcare, housing support, etc.)
- Active measures to integrate women into all levels of the workforce
The Goals: Equality and Independence
These policies aim to:
- Give women true economic independence
- Enable better work-life balance
- Ensure equal representation in leadership roles
- Provide a safety net that isn't dependent on male partners
- Create more equal power dynamics in relationships
By implementing these democratic socialist approaches, the book argues we can achieve greater gender equality and improve women's lives across the board - including in the bedroom.
Addressing Common Critiques
The book anticipates and responds to some common criticisms of its argument for socialist policies to benefit women.
"But socialism has failed everywhere it's been tried!"
Response:
- We must distinguish between authoritarian state socialism and democratic socialism
- Nordic countries show democratic socialism can be very successful
- Even state socialist countries had some policies that benefited women
"These policies are too expensive and will hurt the economy."
Response:
- Nordic countries maintain strong economies while providing extensive social support
- Empowering women economically grows the overall economy
- Current system imposes huge unpaid costs on women
"Women are already equal, we don't need more intervention."
Response:
- Persistent pay gaps and underrepresentation in leadership show inequality remains
- Current policies still push women into economic dependence on men
- True equality requires proactive measures, not just legal equality
"This will make men worse off or discriminate against them."
Response:
- Policies like parental leave benefit fathers too
- A more equal society is better for everyone, not just women
- Men also suffer from toxic masculinity and pressure to be sole providers
Conclusion: The Path Forward
The book concludes by emphasizing that democratic socialist policies are not just beneficial for women's sex lives, but for their overall wellbeing and equality in society. Key takeaways include:
Neoliberal capitalism perpetuates gender inequality through market forces and lack of support for working women.
Socialist policies like paid leave, childcare, and quotas are necessary to achieve true economic independence and equality for women.
Greater equality leads to more satisfying relationships and sex lives by putting women on equal footing with male partners.
Democratic socialism provides a framework to implement these policies while maintaining political freedoms.
Empowering women economically benefits society as a whole, not just women.
The author argues that by learning from both the successes and failures of past systems, we can chart a path toward a more equitable future. This requires rejecting the neoliberal capitalist status quo and embracing democratic socialist policies that truly support women's independence and equality.
Ultimately, the provocative claim about better sex under socialism serves to highlight a broader truth: that women's lives improve dramatically across all areas when they achieve genuine economic and social equality. By implementing strong pro-woman policies, democratic socialist societies can create the conditions for women to thrive in their careers, families, and yes - even their sex lives.