14% of Dutch women in “tradwife” relationship: Man makes the money & decisions
Fourteen percent of women in the Netherlands say they are in a relationship with traditional gender roles, in which the man makes the money and has the say, while the woman keeps the house and raises the children, Hart van Nederland found when surveying a representative group of its panel. This 14 percent of women report having less freedom and say in the relationship than their partner.
The program found that 72 percent of the Dutch have no problem with a traditional division of roles, as long as both partners choose this willingly. But as soon as the woman gets less say than the man, a large majority draws the line.
70 percent of the Dutch believe that the conservative view that a man is better suited to bear responsibility and thus make the choices regarding what the woman does has no place in the Netherlands. Another 24 percent called such views worrying, but added that they should be allowed in private.
Half of the respondents said that they know someone who has less say in the relationship than their partner. Women, in particular, recognize such situations. 56 percent of women have witnessed, either personally or in those around them, that someone in a relationship has less freedom or say.
This includes situations where a woman has less freedom to make her own choices regarding work, education, money, clothing, social contacts, or going out - the side of traditional gender roles you don’t see in tradwife videos online.
Government commissioner Mariette Hamer has been mapping out how these conservative views and values touch upon a broader discussion about boundaries, respect, and equality. She is now trying to involve more men in this discussion of how to respond when they witness misogynistic behavior.
“For a real turning point, in addition to the voice and commitment of women, a growing group of men is also needed who take responsibility and show leadership in this movement,” Hamer told Hart van Nederland.
