Why Leisure Time is an Act of Radical Feminist Resistance

Women at Work Why Leisure Time is an Act of Radical Feminist Resistance In a world where a woman’s work is never done, perhaps the biggest form of rebellion is taking time for ourselves. I grew up with a father who spent hours every weekend playing golf while my mother sighed, laundry basket under her arm, about never having time to play the piano. Then, when I got married and had children of my own, I continued the tradition. Even now, with my children in their 20s and more time to myself, my leisure goals are simple, and sadly, very American: I try not to work on weekends. I’m not alone. At a recent dinner with some women I know, I asked about their leisure time. Most laughed. One shared how her husband spent hours learning ancient Greek while she did the grocery shopping and ferried the children to activities. All of which makes the seemingly benign Gen Z social media trend of “ hot girl hobbies -think sewing, junk journaling, doing jigsaw puzzles or just reading-actually quite radical. I find hope in the scads of how-to videos and articles about “ like calligraphy and flower arranging; cozy elegant” hobbies like knitting and baking; hobbies to keep you in shape like rock climbing; adventurous, quirky hobbies like urban foraging; or hobbies to get the creative juices flowing, like playing with “grandma” hobbies . AI- assisted digital art A history of hobbies From the ancient Greeks on, having leisure time has been a sign of living fully, a signal that you have the space to express and experience your truest self, to feel joy and refresh your soul. Yet a culture of leisure has never been accessible to most women. Think of the old adage: a man can work from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done. Having leisure time has been a sign of living fully, that you have the space to feel joy and refresh your soul. Yet a culture of leisure has never been accessible to most women. A 2023 Gallup survey found that over the past 20 years, there has been a surge in Americans across every demographic saying that their hobbies and recreational activities are important or extremely important to them, even more so than religion. And no group values their leisure time more than young people, the survey found. In 2001, just 45% of those between the ages of 18 and 34 said their leisure time was important. By 2023, that share had soared to 66%, the highest, by far, of any age group. Another survey by Civic Science found that Gen Z is most likely of all age groups to spend at least six to 10 hours each week on their hobbies . And though Gallup found that women still lag behind men in terms of valuing their time for leisure, (64% for men vs. 58% for women), the share of women wanting leisure time has increased 13% since 2001. That...

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