Gender Equality and Communism

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Gender Equality and Communism

Equality for women was a pillar of the ideology of communist regimes that ascended to power in Eastern Central Europe with Soviet support following World War II. Since religion was declared illegitimate by communist theory, marriage was not considered sacred; rather, it was deemed a capitalist mechanism for oppressing women. Thus, communist regimes began instituting policies intended to facilitate gender equality. However, the actual methods employed by communist regimes to encourage equality for women had varying effects (e.g., incorporation of women into the labor force). Furthermore, it appears that many communist regimes encouraged gender equality in theory, but promoted a traditional patriarchal family hierarchy in practice. Indeed, the vary nature of bureaucratic soviet-style communism may be considered to be patriarchal. This contradiction between communist theory and practice concerning gender equality is evident in the films: Loves of a Blond, Man is Not a Bird, and Adoption.

In her book entitled Women’s Equality, Work, and Family in the Czech Republic, Alena Heitlinger asserts,

“ … Czechoslovakia adopted a Marxist-Leninist approach to women’s equality … based on Friedrich Engels’ hypothesis that the emancipation of women would result from the abolition of private property, the productive employment of women, and the socialization of private domestic work and child care [which would give time for self-realization in public life]” (88).

This hypothesis may have proved successful, but the principles it was based on were never fully implemented. The first part of the hypothesis hinged on the abolition of private property, a goal that the communist regimes managed ...

... middle of paper ...

...tentions, but actually may have served to objectify women further.

Therefore, it is apparent that the methods employed to exact gender equality were incapable of achieving success because there was no coordinated effort to eradicate the existing patriarchal undertones pervading Eastern European Communist Society. Moreover, the very of nature of communism, in spite of the rhetoric propagated by communist leaders, may have served to reinforce the patriarchal tendencies already existent in society.

Works Cited

Forman, Milos. Loves of a Blond. Czechoslovakia, 1965.

Heitlinger, Alena. Women’s Equality, Work, and Family in the Czech Republic.

Makavejev, Dusan. Man is Not a Bird. Yugoslavia, 1965.

Mesazros, Marta. Adoption. Hungary, 1975.

Verdery, Katherine. From Parent-State to Family Patriarchs: Gender and Nation in Contemporary Eastern Europe.

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