How did feminist philosophers criticize historical political and economic domination by men?

Feminist philosophers have critiqued historical political and economic domination by men by challenging the exclusion of women from traditional theories and exposing the gender bias embedded in social institutions.1

Key approaches to this critique include:

• Challenging the Social Contract: In The Sexual Contract, Carole Pateman argued that traditional social-contract theories, which claim to be based on the consent of free and equal individuals, are actually predicated on a "sexual contract" that systematically subordinates women to men. She contended that this framework merely transformed, rather than abolished, patriarchal domination.2
• "The Personal is Political": Early feminist philosophers rejected the idea that family and sexual relations were private matters outside the scope of politics. By asserting that "the personal is political," they highlighted how unspoken practices of gender-based exclusion favored male interests.1
• Economic Critique: Socialist feminists criticized the division of labour that assigns unpaid caregiving and domestic work to women, labeling it as exploitative. They argued that traditional theories ignored this essential labor while focusing exclusively on waged work.1
• Liberal Reform: Liberal feminists advocated for legal and educational reforms to ensure women have equal opportunities in the public sphere, challenging the societal conditioning that channels men and women into unequal roles.1
• Radical Analysis: Radical feminists focused on how patriarchal cultures and male heterosexuality objectify women, turning the degradation of women into a source of power and stimulation.1