(1913) - The Woman Question - Voltairine de Cleyre

In The Woman Question, a speech delivered in 1913, De Cleyre grapples with the problem of women's economic dependence and the oppressive nature of traditional marriage. Voltairine de Cleyre critiques both state-enforced gender roles and capitalist structures that limit women’s autonomy. She argues that marriage is not in the interest of women and that the "spirit of marriage" shares a resemblance to slavery. She thus denounces marriage as a form of economic dependence and calls for women to pursue independence through education, work, and personal agency. De Cleyre maintains that women should not live with their partners or have children until the current idea of a "home" is changed. This is because the woman would simply become a housekeeper.