Despite some progress, women in Australia still get paid less, have worse jobs, retire with less and do more of the unpaid caring work than men. This is not the result of sexist attitudes on the part of men, although many have them. Inequality persists because capitalism is a system based on exploitation. Effective exploitation requires that the lives of the great majority of us are organised to maximise profits for business and industry, not to fulfil our potential or relate to each other as equals. This session will explain the connection between exploitation and oppression, focusing on the situation facing women in Australia today.