The Terrifying Return of the Nazi Housewives: How the 'Womanosphere' Is Fueling a Fascist Future

2025-09-22 00:00:16.014

In 1980, Gertrud Scholtz-Klink, a former leader of the Nazi women’s bureau, described her role as “influencing women in her daily lives”. She promoted “the cradle and the ladle,” emphasizing reproductive and household duties as essential to national strength. This message reached millions through Nazi youth movements, associations, and the women’s magazine, Frauen Warte. Historian Claudia Koonz notes that this was akin to today’s social media, influencing lifestyle choices while subtly reinforcing Nazi ideology. Theorists like Theodor Adorno and George Lakoff highlight the paternalistic nature of authoritarian regimes, where women’s subservience mirrors a family-like hierarchy. This dynamic is evident in the American right, with the Trump administration’s policies rolling back workplace equity, restricting reproductive rights, and policing gender identity. This echoes Nazi Germany’s focus on racially selective population growth, rewarding prolific mothers. The article introduces the “womanosphere,” a digital network of online creators promoting normative femininity, anti-queerness, white supremacy, and traditional maternalism. Influencers like Alex Clark, Brett Cooper, and Candace Owens promote this vision, often subtly weaving political messages into lifestyle content. This “cottagecore” aesthetic, while seemingly innocuous, can subtly reinforce anti-feminist and fascist values. This “reactionary feminism” emphasizes women’s “evolutionarily-determined ‘interests’” in commitment and protection, overlooking the complexities of women’s lives. The womanosphere often ignores the realities of economic dependence and the lack of viable single-breadwinner households today. The hypocrisy of creators monetizing content while advocating for leaving the workforce is highlighted. Historian Diana Garvin connects this to historical precedents, noting how Mussolini’s Italy used women’s unpaid labor to mask food shortages caused by poor governance. Similarly, the Trump administration’s cuts to social safety nets are being presented as a return to rugged individualism, leaving women to pick up the slack. The article concludes by observing that while fascism may betray women, it still relies on their support. The Trump administration’s policies, coupled with the womanosphere’s influence, create a dangerous environment where women are subtly pressured to accept dependence and traditional roles, while the government abdicates its responsibilities. The rosy image of traditional life promoted online masks the potential for a bleak future.