Conservative Feminism: An Analysis of a Patriarchal Bargain

• In Event: 50451 - Right-Wing Misappropriations of Feminism

Abstract

This study examines how conservative women engage in activism and construct their gender ideology within a male-dominated political space. Public discourse often suggests that conservative women lacked political agency. However, research reveals that conservative women actively shape and sustain conservative movements. Drawing on two years of ethnographic observations, we explore how self-identifying conservative women redefine feminism through strategic gender essentialism—both reinforcing and challenging traditional femininities in contemporary conservative politics. While rejecting mainstream feminism, they incorporate feminist principles to advocate for women’s roles within conservative politics, crafting a distinct conservative feminism. We contribute to theories of gender, collective identity, and social movements by illustrating how conservative women “do gender” in a political context that often constrains them. Additionally, we highlight the significance of small-scale activist spaces in shaping broader conservative movements. Finally, we interrogate the persistence of conservative women’s political loyalty post-Roe v. Wade, challenging assumptions about their discontent with the Republican Party. By centering conservative women’s activism, we build on the interplay between gender, ideology, and political activism.

Authors

• Emily Wagner, University of Nevada-Las Vegas

• Torisha Khonach, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College