I never thought I would dive deep into the sphere of tradwives. I also never thought I would find it fascinating to research and think about, but here we are.
A tradwife is a woman who devotes her life to her family home and takes on the role that the Western culture considers more traditional. The name tradwife comes from traditional wives (or housewives) and was particularly popular between 2018 and 2020.
I think when one lives in a social media bubble that does not show what tradwives do on a daily basis and then sees this type of content and their lives, it’s a bit of a shock, honestly. Because it is so different. But is it bad? Tradwives also often wear clothes that cosplay the 1950s or are very feminine. Again, is this bad? No, it’s just different.
But the circle of life is very interesting here, when you think about it. The full loop from suffragettes and wanting to be your own person and making your own choices to deciding to rely on your partner in all the important aspects of your life. I have watched many videos of tradwives on TikTok (because, of course, there are also tradwife influencers) and hearing that they ask for their husband’s approval to make any bigger purchase is a bit much. Women have long fought for equality and being their own human beings, and I can’t help but look at this as a step back.
One of the popular tradwife influencers is Estee Williams, who has amassed almost 200,000 followers on TikTok. Her videos include tips on how to attract “masculine provider men” and talks about dropping out of college to be a housewife. She often relates her content to faith, the Bible, and her political beliefs (including supporting Donald Trump).
Her husband, Conner Williams, also has a TikTok account. Currently, it has only one video up; it’s him stating that “men need to be men” and that we lack male leaders in society… Toxic masculinity, who??
I guess all that is left to say is that obviously everyone can make their life choices, but I can’t help but wonder if the tradwives and their belief in traditional marriages is not a step back. On the other hand, many of them believe they are, in fact, not sacrificing any women’s rights because they are making their own choices. I am in a bit of a pickle with this one. What do you think?
