What is a trad wife? All we know as GenZ women share why their peers might be embracing the viral trend

The term "Tradwife" (traditional wife) is becoming increasingly prevalent, particularly among Gen Z women. The term refers to those women whose ideologies incline towards traditional gender roles and the traditional notion of femininity.

A Tradwife is defined as a woman who, by choice or necessity, engages in traditional household roles and prioritizes them over her career ambitions to focus more on homemaking and family care. This involves a commitment to conservative values for gender roles.

Tradwives would likely spend their time cooking from scratch, handling the household's finances, and taking care of the children as the husband is at work being the breadwinner.

Meg Tibayan, a parenting expert, tells Parents Magazine:

“For some, it represents a return to traditional values and a way of life that they see as fulfilling and meaningful. On the other hand, detractors view it as an attempt to restrict women's rights and limit their potential.”

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Why is tradwife gaining popularity?

In recent times, social media influencers have started embracing and promoting the lifestyle of 19th-century homesteaders. Influencers such as Hannah Neeleman of Ballerina Farm and Estee Williams are among some of the more prominent figures who seem to have adopted the trad wife lifestyle and make content based on that.

Estee Williams, for example, gained visibility for promoting "Tradwives", a term from an anti-feminist online forum on Reddit known as "Red Pill Women."

This group, established in 2013, was intended to promote traditional values and gender roles, an ideology expressed by former conservative movements.

Through Instagram and TikTok, among others, the ideology has flourished, as has the influence of the #trad hashtag with millions of views on social media sites.

According to a report by Vice, videos with the hashtag were able to accumulate over six million views in one week.

Although the movement has been gaining considerable momentum in countries such as the US and the UK, it is slowly starting to gain some traction in other regions.

For example, nascent Tradwife accounts are appearing in France, but with more modest followings.

Cécile Simmons, a researcher at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, shared insights with Euronews Culture, noting:

"It's a nascent movement; it is starting to develop in France, but accounts don’t have the same reach as American or British accounts. They have a few hundred followers, for instance. But I do suspect that we could see some bigger accounts begin to emerge."

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The rise of trad wives among Gen Z

Recently, Buzz Feed interviewed a few Gen Z women to learn about their opinions on trad wives gaining popularity. While some of these anonymous women were worried about the trend, others embraced it.

The movement of tradwives has resonated with young women who are going through the issues of modern relationships and societal expectations. Some reasons for this are explored below.

Many young women nostalgically refer to idealized family life in the mid-20th century as superior to contemporary life.

One anonymous person was quoted by BuzzFeed as saying:

"I have now wasted several years of my life pursuing an education that made me miserable until I found my boyfriend who has a stable enough career so I can stay home, do the cleaning, laundry, dishes, cooking, caring for the dog, etc. "

They added:

"I am happier than ever and can't wait for this to continue into marriage and children. I wish I knew this was an acceptable choice sooner instead of having people demean it as a life choice."

Another person said,

"I think women are sick of how some guys do not give flowers or attempt anything romantic, which is why they are fantasizing about being a 'tradwife' with a husband who is a provider."

A possible reason could also be influencers showing their "tradwife" lifestyles that have made this identity more visible and appealing. Platforms enable the commodification of traditional domesticity as both aspirational and achievable.

As one person was quoted saying:

“These are women who claim they are solely homemakers and that ambition should be left to men when, in reality, they probably make more money through their social media careers than their husbands.”

Some people have also criticized the trend, noting:

“Women have never only been homemakers, not even in the 'good old days' that tradwives are trying so hard to emulate. Do we really want to go back to when marital abuse and rape were legal and normalized, and women couldn't independently open a bank account or credit card?”

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Perspectives on the trad wife lifestyle

While some celebrate the Tradwife identity as an empowerment, others criticize it as a step back from feminist ideals. The movement has been discussed in terms of women's independence and societal roles:

Proponents claim that the decision to become a Tradwife can be liberating for women; they have the freedom to follow their own definitions of choice outside of the established professional journey. Advocates point to personal choice regarding embracing femininity and domesticity.

Critics argue that the Tradwife movement is a step back for feminism since it promotes going back to the patriarchal order where women's value was found in their home-making skills.