Rise Up! Feminist Digital Archive
A Digital Archive of Feminist Activism
The International Wages for Housework Campaign, founded in 1972, was organized around the principle that women should be paid for performing the socially necessary labour of housework and childcare. Established in 1975, the Toronto Wages for Housework Committee became one of the largest and most active groups participating in this campaign in Canada.
The International Wages for Housework Campaign was co-founded in 1972 by Selma James, Mariarosa Dalla Costa, Silvia Federici, and Brigitte Galtier, and was organized around the principle that women should be paid for performing the socially necessary labour of housework and childcare. Established in 1975, the Toronto Wages for Housework Committee became one of the largest and most active groups participating in this campaign in Canada.
From the “Wages for Housework – All Women Are Houseworkers” pamphlet:
“The Toronto Wages for Housework Committee is part of a network of groups of women fighting for wages for housework in other cities in Canada…Women are workers too. We work for no pay in our homes and for low pay in offices, shops and factories. But we’re not going to for much longer.”
The Waitresses’ Action Committee formed from Wages for Housework. They were fighting for an increase in wages for workers who served alcohol (including waitresses). Since the majority of people serving alcohol were women, the group also supported Wages for Housework.
