Becoming a TradWife: Female Alt-Right Influencers Online

The rise of the alt-right on social media has prompted much media and scholarly attention in recent years, yet very little is understood about the women behind this movement. This paper is based on a project exploring the world of female alt-right influencers online. It situates how these tech savvy women use visually dependent mainstream social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube, in order to spread alt-right ideology and recruit followers. At the core of their message is modelling a ‘tradwife’ (or traditional wife) lifestyle centred on issues of dating, relationships, marriage, and family life. Such messages draw from a long legacy of gendered dynamics in extreme right-wing movements, but are adapted towards modern day consumption of celebrity culture on social media. These female alt-right influencers consequently create the image of a community based on friendship and adventure, which spans a global alt-right network. This paper concludes with reflection on how technological affordances have allowed for new ways of mobilising, culture building, and sustaining an international audience amongst the alt-right.