Society & Culture / Social Issues / Gender & Feminism

Socialism Gave Women Jobs & Washing Machines. Why Did It Make Them More Exhausted?

Not Just Bread, But Roses: Consumption, Technological Development, and the Emancipation of Women in Socialist Slovenia

Polona Sitar

Think progress equals freedom? Think again. In this deep dive, we explore Polona Sitar's groundbreaking book 'Not Just Bread, But Roses: Consumption, Technological Development, and the Emancipation of Women in Socialist Slovenia.' We uncover a brutal paradox: when the socialist state gave women full-time jobs, their own money, and even automated home technology like washing machines, they ended up more exhausted and trapped than ever. Through over 100 intimate oral histories, Sitar reveals how the 'golden age' of the 1970s in Yugoslavia was built on borrowed time, how the washing machine didn't save time but created a ruthless new standard of cleanliness, and how women smuggled sanitary pads across borders just to maintain basic dignity. This isn't just history—it's a mirror to today. Why does every new technology promise freedom but deliver a heavier burden? Watch to uncover the hidden history of the double burden, the politics of a white sheet, and why the most subversive political act might be hiding detergent in your car trunk. You'll never look at a washing machine the same way again.