As I settle in to enjoy my daily TikTok scroll, a concerning video pops up on my feed. A young woman is perusing the aisles of Target, iced coffee in hand, her two babies perched in her shopping trolley. The caption reads “My babies & I on a random weekday because I married a provider, not a 50/50 man”. The sound accompanying the video is a childlike voice humming a Christmas tune, signalling that this is a peaceful and stress-free way of life. 

@jas1321c So grateful that this is my job 🥹🫶🏼✨🤍 #sahm #providermen #momlife #littlelife #boymom #targetrun #grateful #thankful #blessed #mommy #wifey #love #fyp #fypage #fypシ #dreamjob #5050relationships ♬ оригинальный звук – .

At first, the video seemed innocent, even a little sweet. But the more I think about it, the red flags begin to emerge. What does she mean by marrying a “provider”? And what is so terrible about a man splitting employment and domestic labour “50/50”?

This video is just the tip of a much bigger iceberg, and it connects to wider, more concerning societal trends. Women’s rights are being stripped away across the globe. Decades of feminist progress have been suddenly dismantled, and support for the feminist movement is in decline. Simultaneously, there has been a global shift towards right-wing politics and conservatism. And this is making its way into popular culture and our social media feeds, in videos such as this. 

Since 2020, so-called Tradwives have been growing their online presence exponentially. Along with baking, homemaking and homeschooling, they bring with them traditionalist, nationalist, anti-feminist and even white supremacist ideologies. 

How does the pipeline function?

The videos appear innocent at first. A soft voice advertises palatable content about baking from scratch, spending time with family, and homeschooling to keep their children safe. But once you dig deeper, the message is clear: these women want to go backwards. They want to return to a time when traditional gender roles were far more pervasive in society than they are today. A time when women were restricted to staying at home, and men were the sole ‘providers’ of the family. 

Research has demonstrated that far-right ideologies are not necessarily present in all of the content that matches the Tradwife label. However, there is a clear overlap which leads to a mainstreaming effect. 

Through soft, aesthetic videos that talk about “divine feminine” and how women are “naturally” better caregivers, regressive ideologies are normalised and enter the mainstream. This content perpetuates gender essentialism. This is the notion that men and women have inherently distinct traits and behaviour due to their biology. It is an outdated and disproven theory, yet this obsession with binary gender roles remains pervasive in mainstream media and society. 

Tradwife content employs the language of traditional values to normalise extreme ideas, which is a method that ‘manosphere’ influencers also utilise to influence young men.

By promoting a lifestyle in which women stay at home to ‘serve’ their husbands, the Tradwife movement normalises feminine submission. Tradwife content shows domestic labour to be fulfilling and ‘natural’ for women, a notion that feminists have been pushing back on for decades.

Another key aspect of the Tradwife movement is class. Wealthy women are among the most prominent Tradwife content creators. Whilst staying out of the workforce may be an option for wealthy women, it is an impossible notion for working-class families. The soft, aesthetic lifestyle that Tradwives portray is only made possible by their oftentimes generational wealth. 

A prime example of this is Hannah Neeleman, known online as Ballerina Farm. Her traditional lifestyle is supported by her husband’s multi-million-dollar family fortune. Whilst she portrays a humble and simple life of homemaking, homesteading and caring for her nine children, an ordinary appliance such as her oven costs tens of thousands of dollars. Creators fail to acknowledge their privilege, instead, they assert that their choice to stay at home and embrace traditional values is the reason for their idyllic life.

Ironically, whilst advocating for women to stay at home, many so-called Tradwives are actually working as content creators, some making serious money – sometimes even more money than their “provider” husbands. One of the largest creators, Nara Smith, is estimated to have made 7.5 million USD in the last financial year. They are promoting a lifestyle that they do not truly live.

But what is driving these women to go backwards?

Some of the women promoting the Tradwife lifestyle argue that feminism has made women’s lives harder, forcing them to work full-time as well as raise children and look after the home. This is a valid concern. Many women experience what is known as the “double burden” of managing a full-time job as well as unpaid domestic labour. This includes household chores, caring for children as well as the “mental load” (the constant cognitive labour required to run a household). But this burden is not a result of feminism. In fact, feminists advocate for an equal division of labour in the home.

Additionally, many of these women in the U.S. have safety concerns about schools and hostile public spaces. This fear and desire to protect their children is driving them to keep them homeschooled. However, it is not just fear of material threats to their safety. It is a fear of their children being exposed to progressive, secular ways of thinking. For instance, right-wing groups in the US are increasingly pushing to ban books depicting LGBTQ+ communities, race or any issue that defies conservative Christian values.

The ultimate driver of the Tradwife movement is fuelled by “religious or ideological conviction”. Families are fuelled by the desire to return to traditional gender roles, often paired with fundamentalist Christian views.

What are the impacts of this movement?

Returning to traditional gender roles with women staying at home is not the solution to any of these concerns. In fact, it can be harmful and even dangerous for women. Being financially dependent on a spouse can put women in a very precarious position. It is not uncommon for men to trap their partners in unhappy or even abusive relationships because they have financial control. Without an independent career, women may not have the capacity to leave unhealthy relationships. And if they do leave without an adequate safety net, they could be at risk of facing homelessness, poverty or marginalisation. 

This is not to say that being a stay-at-home mother is always a bad thing. For many women, this is deeply rewarding. What is concerning is the sentiment that women are designed for this labour. That working outside of the home is going against the “divine feminine” or the natural calling of women. What is equally harmful is influencers promoting this to impressionable young minds online. Is this the future our foremothers fought tooth and nail for? 

It is clear that the Tradwife movement is not just an aesthetic, it is a dangerous pipeline into regressive, anti-feminist ideologies. It is a part of a larger movement to undo the precarious rights feminists fought for. As young women online, we must be vigilant and critically analyse the content that we are consuming. 

Additionally, we must learn when to switch off. Some content is created with the intention of making us angry, just to get more views. If this is the case, it may be best to block the creator and move on. 

Media literacy is part of a greater demand for the critical thinking needed to decode the messages baked into the content we consume every day.

Some questions we can ask ourselves to ensure that we are consuming content critically and staying informed:   

• Who made this content?
• Who is benefiting from this content? Is somebody making money from it?
• Who is the target audience?
• What does the author want me to think?
• What is not being said? Have they left out key information that could change people’s interpretation of this?
• Is this based on fact or opinion?
• Is this designed to incite particular emotions? And has it been created purely to provoke a reaction to gain more views and engagement?

Whilst we bed rot, we cannot let our minds rot! Stay vigilant and stay feminist.