In 1980, Gertrud Scholtz-Klink, a former leader of the Nazi women’s bureau, described her role in promoting reproductive and domestic duties as vital to national strength. She reached millions through her magazine, Frauen Warte, advocating that women’s primary roles were in the household. Historian Claudia Koonz asserts that authoritarian regimes historically utilize women’s labor to propagate state ideology, establishing a family structure that enforces female subordination.
Today, similar dynamics are observed in extreme right-wing movements, including the Trump administration’s policies, which echo fascist ideals by promoting traditional roles for women while undermining gender equality. This recalls the ideologies of past fascist regimes that incentivized motherhood for racial population growth, paralleling current pronatalist policies that aim for increased births among white families.
The rise of the “womanosphere,” an informal online community embracing traditional femininity, reflects these regressive values. Influencers promote a vision of womanhood steeped in domesticity, sidelining women’s social and political disenfranchisement while perpetuating gender hierarchies. These creators often monetize their anti-feminist narratives, reinforcing the notion that women’s rightful place is in the home.
Historically, fascist regimes relied on women to compensate for state failures, a trend mirrored today as the Trump administration cuts essential services and promotes individualism. This paradigm positions mothers as caregivers amid systemic neglect, romanticizing their roles while overlooking the harsh realities of dependency and domestic servitude.
In essence, while propagating a return to traditional family values, the current political climate risks relegating women to subordinate roles within an oppressive structure, echoing the strategies of past fascist movements.
