Engels developed a theory of women’s oppression in the publication of “The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State” (1884) based upon the pioneering research work of Lewis Henry Morgan “Ancient Society” (1877). His work was the first materialist attempt to understand the evolution of human social organization.

Engels developed a theory of how the rise of class society led to both the rise of the state and the rise of the family, as the means by which the first ruling classes possessed and passed on private property thus locating historically the source of women’s oppression. Engels’ work has defined the terms of the debate around the origin of women’s oppression since the appearance of the feminist movement. Most writers on the subject of women’s oppression have set out either to support or reject Marxist theory based on a critique of Engels pioneering work. In this paper, I present the essence of his theory and discuss the points of controversy.