Girlboss and “tradwife” content dominate social media, but a lot of mothers with small children don’t fit either category. They prefer something in the middle: to work part-time, come in and out of the workforce, or take on roles with maximum flexibility. Research from the Institute for Family Studies found that 40% of married mothers with children under 5 prefer part-time work, with 39% preferring full-time work, and 20% preferring not to work.
Modern married mothers embrace the messy middle. Our policies and culture should too.
Yet national policies often are stuck in an age of traditional 9-to-5 jobs. The Biden administration, for example, sought to tighten restrictions on independent contracting, which many women prefer due to the flexibility it provides.
American society isn’t very accepting of a middle ground either. The modern feminist movement doesn’t recognize the validity of women’s diverse preferences.
The best way forward for women is to accept their preferences, including the preference for the messy middle ground, and support policies and culture that make more creative work options available.
Opportunity Feminism does that. Opportunity Feminism seeks to maximize freedom for women, so they have a path to build fulfilling and meaningful lives on their own terms.
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