Marriage as a Trade

Published in 1909, 'Marriage as a Trade' by Cicely Hamilton is a socio-political treatise that critiques the economic and social conditions surrounding marriage for women in 19th-century Great Britain. Hamilton argues that marriage functions as a commercial transaction, compelling women into roles as wives and mothers for economic survival, which limits their independence and personal agency. The work highlights the systemic issues that enforce women's inferior status and calls for reforms to improve their social and economic conditions.