Alliances Quote by Simone de Beauvoir
“There is the problem of unpaid labor, such as housework, which represents millions and millions of unsalaried work hours and on which masculine society is firmly based. To put an end to this would be to send the present-day capitalist system flying in a single blow. Only we can't do it by ourselves; there have to be other kinds of attacks on the system. So a certain alliance with revolutionary systems is necessary, even masculine ones.”
About This Quote
The quote highlights how unpaid domestic labor underpins capitalist society and that dismantling it would destabilize the system, requiring broader alliances beyond feminist movements.
In simple terms: Unpaid housework fuels capitalism; ending it threatens the system.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and value unpaid labor; build cross‑movement alliances.
Themes
gender equity
economics
social change
labor
capitalism
Mood
critical
determined
hopeful
Type
analytical
activist
philosophical
When to use this quote
- feminist activism
- policy reform
- community organizing
- education campaigns
Key Concepts
intersectionality
structural critique
revolutionary strategy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we make invisible work visible?
- What alliances can amplify this struggle?
A Different Perspective
Unpaid labor is deeply embedded in daily life, making immediate change difficult.
![“[U]nless oppressed groups stick together, and on alliances of self interest rather than do-goodism; nothing can be accomplished in the long run to dismantle the apparatus of oppression.” quote by Shulamith Firestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d7b/shulamith-firestone-12980_accomplished_u-nless-oppressed-groups-stick-together_5485.jpg)
