Feminist Me: Capitalist Feminism — Can You Shop Your Way to Liberation?

@ Etsy

"The future is female."

You see it emblazoned on T-shirts, coffee mugs, and tote bags. It’s chic, empowering, and Instagram-worthy. But beneath the catchy slogans and pastel pink packaging, a question lingers:

Is this really feminism—or just marketing in disguise?

As feminist ideas gain mainstream traction, brands and corporations have eagerly co-opted the language of empowerment. Shopping has become not just a transaction, but a political act.

We're told that buying from “girlboss” startups, wearing feminist merch, or choosing “empowering” beauty products can change the world.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: you can’t buy your way out of a system built on inequality.

When Feminism Meets Capitalism

Feminism is a movement that calls for the dismantling of patriarchal systems—systems that thrive on economic and social hierarchies. Capitalism, on the other hand, depends on those very hierarchies to function. So what happens when feminism gets folded into capitalism?

You get "capitalist feminism"—a watered-down version of the movement that centers individual success and consumerism over collective liberation and structural change.

Rather than pushing for paid parental leave, union protections, or healthcare access, capitalist feminism celebrates the woman CEO. It applauds the first female billionaire while ignoring the low-wage women workers who made her wealth possible. It tells us the solution to inequality is to "lean in," work harder, and—most importantly—spend.

The Feminist T-Shirt Made in a Sweatshop

In 2014, a UK-based fashion line released a feminist T-shirt that read “This is what a feminist looks like.” It was priced at £45 and became a viral sensation. But an investigation later revealed that the shirts were made in a Mauritian factory where women were paid just 62p an hour and worked in sweatshop conditions.

The irony is almost too painful to process.

This is what happens when feminism becomes a brand identity rather than a radical political project. It allows corporations to profit from the movement without being accountable to its values. It turns feminism into an aesthetic—a vibe to be marketed, stripped of context and struggle.

Who Benefits from “Empowerment”?

Capitalist feminism often glorifies the stories of individual women who "made it"—the entrepreneur, the executive, the influencer. While there's nothing wrong with celebrating success, this narrative obscures the reality for the vast majority of women who remain locked out of economic power.

• Women of color, immigrant women, and disabled women are overrepresented in low-wage, high-risk jobs with little upward mobility.

• Working-class women are often juggling multiple jobs without access to childcare, paid leave, or labor protections.

• Global South women produce many of the clothes, makeup, and lifestyle products sold in the name of feminist empowerment, but are rarely empowered themselves.

  
  

Buying a product may feel good—but it does not replace activism, solidarity, or systemic change.

The Illusion of Ethical Consumption

“Buy this to support women!”This kind of marketing appeals to our sense of justice, turning ethics into a selling point. But even ethical consumption has its limits. The truth is, no amount of shopping can fix systems rooted in exploitation. Feminism shouldn’t be measured by how many products you own that say "empowered" on them.

Instead, we should ask:

• Who made this product?

• Under what conditions?

• Who is profiting—and who is being left behind?

  
  

When feminism becomes a tool of capitalism, it loses its power to challenge that very system.

Final Thoughts:

It’s easy—and tempting—to buy into the illusion that shopping a certain way can liberate us. But feminism is not a commodity. It’s a commitment to justice, equity, and collective transformation.

So the next time you see a product promising empowerment, ask yourself:

Whose empowerment are we talking about?And at what cost?