Shovan Bhattarai
In the period of industrial capitalism, the nuclear family structure was enforced on working class populations to ensure a stable working class to be exploited. While women’s oppression existed before capitalism, capitalism reshaped it and used new structures to enforce it. Capitalism also created conditions for identities outside of the accepted sexual and gender norms, and oppressed LGBTI people on this basis. Mass movements against oppression and class struggle have helped to improve the conditions of women and LGBTI people. However, gender-based oppression is still baked into capitalism. This session will explore how capitalism constructs gender and sexuality and how we can fight for women and LGBTI liberation.