A Conservative Case for Feminization

"Many of the messages coming from the right today are not subtle: Empathy is toxic; competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work; corporate culture needs more masculine energy. In a recent viral essay, the conservative commentator Helen Andrews argues at length that sectors of society such as business and law are being undermined by the presence of too many women, or " the Great Feminization.""

"One of her central arguments is that through the experience of pregnancy, women are given a clear script for how to ask for and provide help in a moment of physical frailty and deep care. It is men, she argues, who must relearn this skill. "We're all called to examine our lives to ask, 'Do I seem interruptible? If no one is asking me for help, why is that? Am I asking for help enough to form deep relationships?'""

Right-wing messaging often frames empathy as toxic, elevates competent white men as necessary leaders, and valorizes masculine corporate culture. Some conservative commentary labels growing female presence in business and law as "the Great Feminization" and views it as corrosive. A contrasting perspective contends that women's lived experience, notably pregnancy and caregiving, models dependence, need, and selflessness that can reshape institutions away from toughness and radical self-determination. This perspective accepts biological sex differences as a starting point, probes how to accommodate them across contexts, and emphasizes practical practices like appearing interruptible and asking for help to form deep relationships.

Read at The Atlantic