Countering International Women’s Day by Celebrating the CEO of the Home

by Savannah D.

This quote welcomes the reader to the International Women's Day (IWD) Website. IWD is celebrated each year on March 8.

"Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality. Collectively we can all #EmbraceEquity.

Celebrate women's achievement. Raise awareness about discrimination. Take action to drive gender parity...and bring attention to reproductive rights."

This above quote welcomes the reader to the International Women's Day Website. Indeed, they are including women's accomplishments in all career realms and even including the accomplishments of a few biological men who identify as women. However, the women who are not celebrated on this website and are excluded in IWD are women who have chosen to marry and be professional home-makers and purposeful parents. Parenting is from the womb to the tomb. Here at Culture of Life we pray that our women choose to give their children and marriages the best of themselves and not the rest of themselves, or the leftovers. 

One of the biggest lies ever told to women was convincing them that it was better for them to be career oriented rather than at home with their babies and husbands.

Sadly, some conservative and Christian women like to preach and to talk about the importance of children, family and home-making but if you study their lifestyle... rather than doing what they preach they have made a career out of being the "influencer" of the conservative women lifestyle, and do not practice what they preach. These women can not speak to the glory and reward of being a genuine conservative women. They are cheating themselves and also cheating those young women who follow them on social media and gather for annual conferences across the country.

Sure, these women may be writing the homeschool books and speak at every homeschool conference but who is actually home-schooling their children? Perhaps they are giving advice about mothering children on a popular podcast when in reality they travel 150 days out of the year and even when they are briefly home they are not actually spiritually and emotionally present for their family.

This "do as I say, and not what I actually do" lifestyle actually cheapens the role of the true mother and wife who is daily present enjoying motherhood and being a wife. Yes, we used the word "enjoying" verses the mother and wife who stays home and complains about the high calling of being a conservative Christian women. 

I dedicate this International Women's Day to the conservative Christian wife & mother who enjoys devoting her days to nurture the future generation into mature adulthood while giving her home and husband 100%. Perhaps we will call these women "Mom Bosses" or "CEO's of their Homes."

Here at Culture of Life Fashion, we know there are women who do put this belief into practice. One such woman is Elisa Steele: Conservative wife and mama, and former host of the hit podcast “Deconstructing the Culture,” whom is always wearing Culture of Life 1972 and was our very first influencer in 2019 before she had any babies yet!  Elisa left all this to be a full-time wife and mother, and has strong opinions on why young women should do the same. She is actually practicing what she preaches! She married at 21 and had her first child at 23, her second blessing arrived at 26 years of age. She had two miscarriages in between. She understands being present in the home. How rapidly these precious moments go by. Moments that can never be re-played or re-lived. We only get one opportunity to mother our toddlers - children - teens - adults well. 

“Conservatism,” she says, is more than just an ideology. It’s a lifestyle. “Conservativism is, at it’s core, about healing the family. If you can heal the family, you can heal America."

That’s a bold statement, but Elisa gives us the evidence to back it up. “You’re not going to heal the family getting in Twitter fights and speaking at yet another conference while away from your family,” she says. “You’re going to heal the family by making them your top priority. There’s nothing more important than for a woman to tend to and raise her family."

Okay, some young women might say, I understand that, but why can’t we have it all? 

This lie was exactly what the feminist movement told women to get them out of their homes and into the workforce. In fact, it was the feminist movement that said, “Hey, you can have it all women.” In reality, as Elisa states, “If you and your husband choose a family, family must be the priority. Are you going to invest 45+ hours a week in your career or your family? Are you investing the best in your family, or your career?"

In order for us to take our country back and make a difference in America, Elisa reminds us that we must actually live what we preach. We cannot let institutions raise our children: God gave us each a unique soul to nurture in our children and we must give them our best.

Elisa reminds women: “Ladies, you need to be asking these questions if not on your first date, in the first three dates: what faith are you, what are your political convictions, how many children do you want and how do you want to raise those children?”

"Don’t waste your time when it comes to dating! You need to know immediately whether or not you’re compatible on the important issues in life.”

I wanted to end this article with the thoughts of another woman- someone who also embodies the beauty of a stay-at-home mother throughout 21 years of raising children (with the youngest still being 7 years old!”

My very own mother stayed at home with me when being a “Homemaker” was very much frowned upon. When I asked my mom what she would say to young women starting a family, she responded with,

“The first thing I would say is, ‘Stay home.’

“It’s so important to be that constant presence at home. Being vigilant and a constant presence in the home is incredibly important for your children's formation- especially in this age of computers and the internet."

My mom has children ranging from elementary school to adult age, so she focused more on the aspect of women staying home to protect their children’s innocence. 

“In today’s age if you sell your kids short, they loose their purity- that’s one of the first things they do- and they may get into bad friend groups.” They are so much less likely to do that if the mother is around for guidance and direction.

However, my mom adds, it is extremely important for your husband to be on the same page about this.

“Women don’t understand how humbling and sacrificial being a mom is going to be if you’re going to do it right,” and you need your husband’s full support along the way.

She ends with a quote that she was told when she decided to stay home, that she has kept with her ever since,

“You’re going to either do both half way, or one 100 percent. It’s not worth spreading it thin.”

Here at Culture of Life Fashion, we are all about living what we preach and practicing what we believe. If we are going to be so adamant that a woman’s greatest blessing and gift is bearing and raising children, we need to act like it! We need to make that the most important part of our lives and of our children's lives, and we need to only marry men who act like it as well.

"An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy." - Rudyard Kipling

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies." -Proverbs 31:10