Turn2Me says it is concerned about the trad wife trend.iStock
A social media trend encouraging women to return to homemaking gender roles as ‘trad wives' is undermining decades of progress and harming women, an Irish mental health charity has warned.
The ‘trad wife’ trend began in Britain in 2020 and quickly spread across the Atlantic with influencers including Ballerina Farm and Nara Smith often being associated with the term.
While many of its original proponents have now shunned the movement, younger influencers are continuing to promote the ‘joys’ of relying on a husband for financial support, being submissive to him, and staying at home to prepare meals and shoulder all the domestic duties.
In a TikTok video with over 1.6 million views, trad wife influencer Estee Williams, 25, from Richmond, Virginia, said trad wives believe their place is in the home, while the husband provides for the family.
@esteecwilliams What it means to be a Tradwife. #fyp #tradwife #homemaking #housewife #traditional #tradwifecontroversy #womenschoice ♬ Music Instrument - Gerhard Siagian
Victoria Lit, a Texan whose TikTok account has 52,000 followers, recently posted that the No.1 rule for trad wives was to remember a man’s home is his "castle."
"So, he should be treated as a king, he’s working a stressful job, maybe working long hours so he can provide for you and the family, so he rightfully deserves peace… he is your king and you are his queen. That is your duty," she said.
@_victoria_lit No. 1 trad wife rule? #foryoupage #explore ♬ original sound - Victoria Lit
Turn2Me, which has helped over 130,000 people in Ireland since 2009, said it was concerned about the trend.
In a statement, it said the movement "sends a regressive and damaging message to both men and women, undermining decades of progress in gender equality," and is "an unrealistic lifestyle for most."
It said the ‘trad wife’ concept perpetuates outdated and harmful gender stereotypes that confine women to domestic roles and men to being sole breadwinners.
"These stereotypes can limit individual potential and reinforce the notion that a person’s worth is tied to their adherence to traditional gender norms, rather than their unique skills, talents, aspirations, and contributions to society," it warned.
It added that "this can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem for those who do not fit into these narrow roles."
It also said that by glorifying the idea that women should prioritise homemaking over careers or personal ambitions, the trend directly challenges the strides made towards gender equality.
"This messaging suggests women’s empowerment is less valuable than fulfilling traditional roles, which can hinder progress in achieving equal opportunities for all genders… It also discourages men from embracing more nurturing roles," it said.
The charity said the extreme submissive dynamics promoted by trad wives can foster unhealthy relationships, where one partner holds power over the other. It cautioned that this could lead to emotional and psychological harm, including feelings of being trapped, resentment, dependency, and even abuse.
"Healthy relationships are built on mutual respect, equality, and shared responsibilities – values that this trend directly contradicts," it stated.
Turn2Me said the trend may contribute to mental health issues such as depression among women. Men may also suffer from the pressure to conform to traditional roles as sole providers, leading to burnout, it said.
The charity noted many of the influencers promoting the trend come from generational wealth, make money from online content, or are married to wealthy men.
*This article was originally published on Evoke.ie.