How Baking Has Empowered Women Throughout History
For centuries, baking has been both an expectation and an act of defiance for women. It has been a symbol of tradition, a form of unpaid labour, a tool for activism, and, in more recent years, an empowering force in feminism. While some might dismiss baking as a "soft" domestic skill, history tells a different story—one where women have used their whisks and rolling pins as instruments of change.
From the Home to the Frontlines: The Dual Nature of Baking
Historically, baking was tied to gender roles that confined women to the kitchen. For much of history, women were expected to bake for their families as part of their domestic duties, often without recognition or compensation. However, what seemed like a passive role was, in many ways, an act of resilience. Women found ways to create community through baking, passing down recipes, sharing knowledge, and ensuring their families were cared for despite the hardships of war, poverty, and social oppression.
But as history has shown, what is seen as "women’s work" can also become a form of rebellion. During the suffrage movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women used baking as a tool to spread their message. In the Britain and the United States, suffragettes sold baked goods—sometimes imprinted with pro-suffrage slogans—to fund their campaigns. Baking, which was supposed to keep them in the home, was now financing their fight for the right to vote.
The Feminist Bake Sale: Raising Dough for a Cause
Fast forward to the 1960s and 1970s, and feminism took a more radical approach. The second-wave feminist movement critiqued traditional gender roles, including the expectation that women should be homemakers. For some, baking was rejected as a symbol of oppression. Yet, others reclaimed it, using bake sales to raise money for women’s rights organizations, reproductive health clinics, and legal defence funds. These bake sales weren’t just about cookies—they were about funding change and proving that something traditionally dismissed as “women’s work” could fuel real activism.
Reclaiming Baking: The Rise of the Modern Feminist Baker
In the 21st century, baking has become a powerful statement of self-expression and empowerment. Shows like The Great British Bake Off have turned baking into a celebrated skill, while women-owned bakeries and cake decorators have built thriving businesses in an industry once dominated by men at the professional level. Social media has given a platform to feminist bakers who use their creations to advocate for gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and other social issues—whether it's through intricately designed protest cookies or cakes featuring bold, unapologetic messages.
Baking is no longer something women have to do—it’s something they choose to do. Whether it’s running a successful bakery, using baking as a form of self-care, or making a statement with an intricately piped feminist slogan, baking has evolved into a tool of empowerment.
Baking as a Superpower
When we say "Baking is my superpower," we’re recognizing that the act of mixing, kneading, and decorating is more than just creating something delicious—it’s a form of strength, creativity, and resistance. It’s a skill that has fed families, funded movements, and fuelled feminist progress.
So whether you're baking for a cause, for your business, or just for yourself, know that you’re continuing a long legacy of women using flour, sugar, and passion to make an impact. Because, in the end, baking isn’t just about cakes—it’s about power.