Phyllis Schlafly, presidential candidate Donald Trump’s hero, a leading architect of conservatism in the twentieth century died in early September. Schlafly was a committed anti-communist, racist, and sexist. But, what she is known for the most is her opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, an amendment to the U.S. Constitution which would have banned denial of rights due to sex. Schlafly campaigned against the ERA, and won many working women to join the fight, arguing a women’s place is in the house with the kids. Of course, this denies the reality of the millions of working class women who worked. However, it maintained the ruling class lie that working was optional for women, and helped them keep women’s pay low.
Sexism, like racism, is a necessary part of capitalism. Women still earn less than men (79 cents to every dollar men earn,) and that pay differential leads to tremendous profits for the bosses. While the ruling class has allowed some changes for women (the right to vote in 1920, the ability to open bank accounts or get a mortgage without a husband’s approval in the 60s and 70s), these have not changed  the economic reality for most working-class women.
Schlafly helped build the conservative wing of the Republican party, which brought us the trickle-down economics of Ronald Reagan and the consolidated racist politics of the party since the 1960s. She helped build a movement to counter working-class fightback. Schlafly is a clear example how ruling-class women are perpetrators of sexist oppression for the working class.