Why do socialist feminists consider unpaid caregiving and homemaking to be labour?

Socialist feminists, such as Alison Jaggar and Iris Marion Young, argue that unpaid caregiving and homemaking are essential forms of labour because they are indispensable to the functioning of society and the economy.1

By applying Marxist categories to feminist theory, these philosophers criticized traditional Marxism for focusing exclusively on waged labour outside the home. They contend that the sexual division of labour, which disproportionately assigns domestic responsibilities to women, is inherently exploitative.1

From this perspective, the expectation that women perform this work without pay creates significant economic insecurity and dependency for stay-at-home mothers. Furthermore, socialist feminists highlight the burden of the "double day," where women who work outside the home are still expected to manage the majority of domestic tasks, as well as the systemic undervaluing of professional child-care work. By framing these activities as labour, socialist feminists challenge the traditional philosophical assumption that the private sphere of the family is separate from the political and economic structures of society.1