Breaking Free: Why 'Equality' Is a Patriarchal Lie

The publishing of “Breaking Free: The Lie of Equality and the Feminist Fight for Freedom” in 2024 has ignited a radical conversation within feminist circles, presenting the provocative argument that the very concept of “equality” we have spent decades pursuing is, in fact, a carefully constructed trap. Dr. Amelia Hruby, the book’s author, contends that equality functions as a racist and patriarchal ideal designed to perpetuate the systemic oppression of women and disenfranchised communities. This critique challenges the core assumptions of liberal feminism, suggesting that by striving to be “equal,” we are unconsciously accepting men’s ways of being, working, and leading as the universal standard. It prompts us to ask the fundamental question: why should a system created by and for men be the ultimate benchmark for human achievement?

Pursuing equality often means accepting the underlying logic of capitalist exploitation, racial hierarchies, and environmental destruction, provided that some women are allowed to occupy positions of power within those structures. This “Equality Approach” celebrates female CEOs and 50% representation in parliaments, yet it frequently ignores the “sticky floors” and minimum-wage struggles of the vast majority of women. Historically, this movement has often centered on white, middle-class experiences, such as the 1920s suffrage movement that gained white women the vote while Black women remained disenfranchised, or the corporate feminism of today that prioritizes “breaking glass ceilings” over fundamental economic justice. From a Global South perspective, this definition of success often feels like an invitation to join the very neocolonial structures that continue to exploit marginalized communities.

In contrast, the “Freedom Approach” advocated in “Breaking Free” calls for true liberation through the radical reimagining of our social and economic foundations. This requires moving beyond hierarchical power structures toward participatory democracy and valuing traditionally “feminine” labor, such as care work, as the essential backbone of society. Instead of celebrating more female CEOs, this perspective asks why we need CEOs at all, proposing cooperatives as a more equitable alternative. It prioritizes community over competition and diversity over assimilation, celebratory different ways of being and working rather than forcing everyone into a pre-existing mold. This shift from equality to freedom is not just a theoretical distinction; it has practical roots in successful movements like the Zapatista women’s autonomous communities or the Kurdish women’s struggle for democratic confederalism.

The critique also extends to how capitalism itself co-opts the idea of equality to serve its own ends by doubling the labor pool, suppressing wages, and creating new consumer markets. True feminism, Hruby argues, must be anti-capitalist, rejecting the “productivity cult” in favor of rest and care, and embracing the commons over private property. On a personal level, this means questioning individual definitions of “success” and refusing to compete with other women for a seat at the patriarchy’s table. On a collective level, it involves building mutual aid networks and feminist economies that operate outside of traditional market logics. This approach demands universal basic income and workplace democracy as essential tools for creating a society where care and dignity are prioritized over profit.

Critics who argue that this vision is “too radical” or “unpractical” are reminded that every significant advance in human history—from the abolition of slavery to marriage equality—was once dismissed with the same labels. In 2024, as we face climate collapse and democratic backsliding, the limits of incremental reform are becoming increasingly apparent. The pandemic further exposed the hollowness of the “equality” promised by existing systems, and a younger generation is now demanding a more profound transformation. Freedom is, in fact, more practical than equality because while equality keeps us chasing an unattainable goal within a broken system, freedom allows us to build entirely new systems that are inclusive and representative of all people.

Ultimately, “Breaking Free” reminds us that the goal of feminism is not to get a chair in the boardroom, but to flip the table and redesign the house. Equality is a lie when it asks us to survive and compete within a system designed to oppress us; freedom is the truth because it insists we create societies where we don’t have to prove we “deserve” to thrive. The defining question for our era is no longer how women can be equal to men, but how we can all be free. This requires a long-term commitment to education, organization, and experimentation with alternative ways of living. The future must be one where power is shared, care is valued, and the “lie of equality” is finally replaced by the lived reality of liberation.