"Anyone who knows anything of history knows that great social changes are impossible without feminine upheaval. Social progress can be measured exactly by the social position of the fair sex, the ugly ones included"

Karl Marx is asserting that significant social changes can not happen without the participation and impact of females. He recommends that the social progress of a society can be measured by the status and treatment of women, consisting of those who are not traditionally appealing. Marx is declaring that gender equality and the empowerment of females are essential elements in the improvement of a society.