Socialism proved that how the state was organized could have a profound impact on how people thought about themselves and each other, and it instituted that change perhaps more rapidly than any other regime has in history. Where it failed on gender equality was to forget that humans are cultural creatures, not automatons. We cling to our customs, our beliefs, even if we don’t understand why we do. Instituting equality wasn’t just a fight against capitalism. It was also a fight against the past.
