History Extra podcast Wages for housework: the daring 1970s campaign that challenged women's roles
20 snips
Sep 21, 2025 Emily Callaci, a historian and author focused on global feminism, dives into the revolutionary 1970s campaign for 'wages for housework'. She highlights how this movement challenged traditional gender roles and capitalism by demanding compensation for unpaid labor. Callaci shares fascinating insights into the founding figures like Selma James, the movement's impact on second-wave feminism, and its ongoing significance today, exploring internal divisions and the creative ways activists made invisible work visible.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Pregnancy Sparked the Research
- Emily Callaci describes her experience of returning to work after maternity leave and doing a double shift caring for an infant while holding a full-time job.
- This personal struggle motivated her to research the historical Wages for Housework movement to understand unpaid care work's roots.
Housework As Economic Foundation
- The movement treated housework as essential labour that capitalism depends on rather than a private duty.
- Recognizing and compensating it was framed as a way to challenge capitalism's exploitation of unpaid care.
Two Founders, Two Backgrounds
- The movement began in 1972 led by Selma James in London and Maria Rosa Dalla Costa in Padua, Italy.
- Their different backgrounds—grassroots activism and academic scholarship—shaped the campaign's global, working-class focus.
