Is feminism progressing in the home?

There seems to be infinite problems with the rise in trad-wives, from the blatantly fascist elements, to the pseudo-white supremacist overtones, to the regressive gender politics firmly rooted in the 1950s. But, many women have chosen this life; it is, for the individual, technically an empowering form of free choice. Due to this, the concept of trad-wives is a paradox in itself.

The trad-wife movement presents a domestic fantasy, where a wife does the cooking, cleaning, and childcare, while often advertising a christian way of life. At the same time, the trad-wife documents her home-oriented life causing her to take on the status of worker, as she is financially profiting from it. The paradox appears in the disparity between her content and reality. 

The movement embodies the commonplace term ‘domestic goddess’, and appeals widely to women across the internet. But why is it so desired? In many heteronormative relationships the wife often still bears the brunt of the domestic load, even if the husband is feminist himself, frequently also whilst holding down a job. In the trad-wife fantasy life, husbands are rarely ever present, allowing for what appears to be a free space solely for the wife to inhabit.

This then could suggest trad-wives are a good notion: a newfound way to be 'independent.' She has, afterall, chosen this for herself, and is making money, while also being in a position of power and influence. These all look to be positives, and technically could be, well, if the content was any different. While yes, it presents a woman earning money, but an integral part to being a trad-wife is pretending you’re more oppressed than you actually are. 

Women have fought to be allowed to make money and be financially independent, therefore pretending to be a 1950s housewife who isn’t earning while actually making a fortune, romanticises the oppressed women of the past. Through posting on social media the trad-wife takes on an influential role; this is where the well-known proverb ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ comes into play. Her hypocritical status as someone choosing for herself, but convincing other women to reject their freedom of choice causes the trad-wife to take on the male role of the oppressive patriarch.

The movement is detrimental for women everywhere: playing into fascist ideology, which is all the more dangerous today with the rise of the far right, or Trump’s constant reduction of women’s rights. The trad-wife movement can only be seen as aiding a patriarchal society.