ABOUT THE BOOK:

Mainstream feminism has shifted steadily rightward since the 1970s—embracing Bush's war on Afghanistan in 2001 and even endorsing Democratic Party efforts to seek "common ground" with abortion opponents after John Kerry's defeat in 2004. This approach has proven disastrous for women, from the U.S. to Afghanistan.

This collection of essays examines these issues from a Marxist perspective—addressing the reasons why women are oppressed, the different nature of oppression between women of different social classes, and the basis for building a movement that can end women's oppression, along with all other forms of inequality.


PRAISE:

“Sharon Smith’s work, spanning decades of events affecting women, provides a valuable and uncommon perspective on the oppression and liberation of women. The book covers both theory of women’s oppression and the history and politics of women’s movements. Her understanding of the grounding of women’s oppression in class society, her vision of solidarity among women and men, and her critique of ideologies of sexism and the rollback of the gains of the women’s movement are tremendously important contributions to women’s studies. More than that, the accessible writing and incisive assessment of the movements gains and losses are indispensable for activists for women’s liberation today.”

– Dana Cloud, Associate Professor, University of Texas, Austin


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sharon Smith is the author of Subterranean Fire, forthcoming from Haymarket Books, as well as many articles on women's liberation and the U.S. working class. Her writings appear regularly in the Socialist Worker newspaper and the International Socialist Review. She has also written for the journal Historical Materialism and is a contributor to Iraq Under Siege: The Deadly Impact of Sanctions and War and Women and the Revolution by Ethel Mannin. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.


RIGHTS INFORMATION:

Please contact subagents for the following languages and territories:

For all other languages/territories, please contact Roam Agency.