Capitalism vs Socialism: What’s Better for Women’s Rights?

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Why do women’s rights advance in some societies — and decline in others? In this episode, historian and gender scholar Kristen Ghodsee explains why economic inequality is one of the most powerful drivers of gender inequality. Drawing on decades of research comparing socialist and capitalist societies, Ghodsee shows how policies such as universal childcare, public services, and guaranteed employment dramatically expanded women’s opportunities in the twentieth century — and why the collapse of these systems often led to renewed discrimination and inequality. But the story is not only historical. We discuss how today’s surge in online misogyny, “trad-wife” narratives, and the rise of the…