Iraq and Afghanistan: A Regressive Shift in Women’s Rights

In Iraq, proposed amendments could lower the legal age of consent for girls to as young as nine, transferring judicial powers to religious authorities and limiting women’s rights to divorce, inheritance, and custody. Similarly, in Afghanistan, the Taliban’s return to power has devastated women’s rights. Girls are banned from attending school beyond sixth grade, and women are barred from most public life, reversing decades of progress.

Poland: Restricting Reproductive Rights

Poland’s strict anti-abortion laws virtually banned abortion in 2020, even in cases of severe fetal abnormalities. This has forced women to seek illegal or international options for abortion, placing them in harm’s way and infringing on their reproductive autonomy.

The United States: Reproductive Rights Under Threat

The 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court ended federal protections for abortion rights, allowing individual states to impose their own restrictions. This has resulted in a patchwork of abortion laws, with many states enacting bans or severe restrictions, disproportionately impacting marginalized women.

Iran: Hijab Laws and the Suppression of Protest

Iran has cracked down on women’s freedoms since the death of Mahsa Amini, who was detained and killed for wearing her hijab “incorrectly.” The protests that followed were met with brutal suppression, further curbing women’s rights to expression and autonomy.

The Incel Movement and the Rise of Misogyny

The incel (involuntary celibate) movement, which fosters a deep-seated resentment toward women, has grown alarmingly in recent years. These online communities advocate violence against women and view them as the root of men’s problems. This toxic ideology often spills into the real world, promoting fear and hostility toward women and perpetuating misogyny.

Influential Figures and the Spread of “Toxic Masculinity”

Public figures like Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson have gained massive followings by promoting “traditional” gender roles and dismissing women’s concerns about equality and safety. They argue that men are “under attack” and that women should return to submissive roles. Their influence has helped normalize harmful attitudes, leading young men to adopt misogynistic views under the guise of self-improvement.

Defamation Lawsuits and Smear Campaigns Against Women

In a post-MeToo era, a backlash has emerged, where women who speak up about abuse often face defamation lawsuits or public smear campaigns. This trend aims to silence survivors by painting them as liars or attention-seekers. In many cases, women risk their reputations, careers, and financial stability to share their stories, only to be attacked legally and publicly.

Unrealistic Beauty Standards: A New Form of Control Over Women’s Bodies

Toxic Beauty Products and Cultural Pressure

Many beauty products, like skin-lightening creams and harsh hair treatments, contain toxic chemicals but are marketed as essential for women to feel “beautiful” and “youthful.” The relentless pressure to conform to narrow beauty ideals forces women to invest time, money, and energy into an image that ultimately serves patriarchal views on femininity.

A Manufactured Reality: The Influence of Social Media and Monetization

Many influencers promoting this “traditional wife” lifestyle are not, in fact, living it themselves. Instead, they market this role as a brand, attracting followers who romanticize the idea and buy into products and courses on homemaking or “submissive” relationships. In many cases, these influencers are making money by selling a fantasy that does not align with their real lives. This creates a deceptive narrative that encourages women to model their lives after an idealized version of the past, often leading to unrealistic expectations about family life, relationships, and self-worth.

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Why This Trend is Problematic: Reinforcing Dependency and Limiting Self-Worth

While it’s perfectly valid for individuals to choose a traditional family structure if that’s their preference, this trend becomes problematic when it suggests that a woman’s purpose and fulfillment lie solely in pleasing a man and managing a household. It promotes the idea that women should be dependent on men for financial stability, decision-making, and personal happiness. This message discourages self-sufficiency, independence, and resilience—all qualities that are essential for navigating the modern world.

Moreover, this trend can create subtle pressures on young women who are still figuring out their identities and life goals. Seeing influencers glorify a lifestyle where women sacrifice their ambitions for a man’s well-being can make it harder for young women to believe in their right to personal fulfillment and independence. And unlike women in the 1950s, who had limited access to careers and financial independence, today’s women have far more choices—a fact that this trend tends to obscure or dismiss.

A Step Backward in a Time of Hard-Won Progress

The popularity of this trend can be seen as a response to the pressures of modern life, where high expectations and the pursuit of equality have sometimes left women feeling overwhelmed. Some may find comfort in a simpler, slower way of life that recalls traditional values. However, by idealizing this 1950s aesthetic without addressing the real limitations it placed on women’s lives, the trend risks romanticizing an era of restricted rights and choices.

In this way, the “traditional housewife” trend is more than just a harmless social media fad; it reflects a broader cultural backlash against women’s independence. It subtly encourages women to relinquish their autonomy, fall into conventional roles, and depend on men, rather than emphasizing partnership, equality, and self-development. With a growing focus on these outdated roles, we risk normalizing the very limitations that past feminist movements fought so hard to overcome.

Why We Must Stay Critical of Retrograde Narratives

The glamorization of traditional gender roles, like that of the 1950s housewife, should remind us of the dangers of idealizing the past without recognizing its challenges. While everyone has the right to choose their lifestyle, promoting a narrative that prioritizes dependency over empowerment threatens to set back the progress made in women’s rights. As we face a growing wave of legal, cultural, and social challenges to women’s autonomy, it’s more essential than ever to support narratives that empower women to make choices freely, based on their true desires and potential, not on aestheticized ideals.

Historical Patterns: How Women’s Rights Have Been Rolled Back Over Time

The history of women’s rights is filled with both progress and regression, showing us just how precarious these hard-won freedoms can be.

Nazi Germany: A Regression in Women’s Roles

In the 1920s and early 1930s, women in Germany experienced unprecedented rights. They had the right to vote, pursued higher education, and joined the workforce in increasing numbers. However, with the rise of the Nazi regime, women were pushed out of professional roles and barred from certain levels of education, encouraged instead to focus on traditional roles of motherhood and domesticity. The regime promoted a strict vision of gender roles, limiting women’s autonomy and relegating them to the private sphere. This reversal demonstrates how political shifts can quickly undo societal progress.

The United States in the 1940s and 1950s: Post-War Regression

During World War II, American women entered the workforce in droves, taking on roles in manufacturing and other sectors traditionally dominated by men. The iconic image of “Rosie the Riveter” embodied the spirit of women’s empowerment and contribution to the war effort. However, after the war, women were encouraged to leave their jobs to make room for returning male soldiers. The 1950s saw a cultural push for women to return to domestic life, promoting an ideal of the “perfect housewife.” This shift sent a powerful message that women’s progress was contingent upon societal needs and expectations.

The Suffrage Movement and Backlash in the Early 20th Century

At the turn of the century, women around the world began winning the right to vote and participate in public life. However, this progress was met with intense backlash, with critics arguing that women’s suffrage threatened traditional family values. In the U.S., for example, the suffrage movement spurred anti-feminist groups to form, fighting to curb women’s rights to work and vote. Even after gaining the vote, many women were still excluded from meaningful roles in politics and society, and had to continue fighting against deeply ingrained resistance to their newfound rights.

Western Women’s Liberation Movements: Gains and Losses

The women’s liberation movements of the 1960s and 1970s brought radical changes across Europe and North America. Women fought for reproductive rights, access to contraception, and workplace equality. In many ways, these movements were successful, paving the way for advancements in women’s autonomy. However, the backlash was swift. In the 1980s, a conservative wave rolled through much of the West, with growing opposition to abortion rights, restrictions on access to contraception, and cultural pressures pushing women back toward traditional roles. This ebb and flow shows how even within progressive societies, women’s rights can become a target for conservative and reactionary forces.

Eastern Europe After the Fall of Communism

Under communist regimes, Eastern European countries often promoted women’s roles in the workforce and provided some forms of state-supported childcare and reproductive health services. However, after the fall of communism, many of these services were dismantled, and there was a push for women to return to traditional domestic roles. In countries like Poland and Hungary, reproductive rights and access to family planning services were significantly restricted in the years that followed, demonstrating how shifts in political ideology can directly impact women’s lives and autonomy.

The Path Forward: Working Together with Understanding and Compassion

Engaging Men as Allies

To make lasting progress, it’s crucial to involve men in the conversation. Approaching these discussions with empathy and understanding, rather than hostility, helps prevent defensiveness and encourages men to become allies. Men who understand the importance of equality can play a powerful role in countering the spread of toxic masculinity and supporting the fight for women’s rights.

Supporting Women’s Rights Organizations Globally

International support for organizations that protect women’s rights is critical. Groups like RAINN, Amnesty International, UN Women, International Rescue Committee (IRC),  Equality Now and local grassroots organizations provide resources and advocacy that help maintain momentum for women’s rights worldwide.