Communism is a political and economic system in which property and resources are meant to be owned collectively, with the goal of reducing or eliminating social classes. In practice, it has often involved strong central government control.
From French *communisme*, from *commun* “common,” ultimately from Latin *communis* “shared, belonging to all.” The word was popularized in the 19th century by political thinkers like Karl Marx.
The core idea behind communism is pushing the word ‘common’ to its limit—making almost everything shared rather than privately owned. Much of the debate around it comes from the gap between the ideal (fair sharing) and the real (how power is actually used).
Communist movements and states have had complex gender histories, sometimes promoting formal gender equality while maintaining traditional gender roles in practice. Women played major roles in organizing and theory but were often sidelined in official narratives.
When discussing communism, include gender analysis where relevant rather than treating gender as irrelevant to class politics.
Women activists, theorists, and organizers significantly shaped communist and socialist movements worldwide, even when later histories emphasized male leaders.
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