We are all watching you!
Gilead is not simply controls her citizens by power. Instead, women in general support Gilead's existence by willingly participating in it, and even serving as agents for our totalitarian state.
As Atwood suggests, people always endure oppression willingly as long as they receive some slight amount of power or freedom. Offred’s complacency after she begins her relationship with Nick shows the truth of this insight. Her situation restricts her horribly compared to the freedom her former life allowed, but her relationship with Nick allows her to reclaim the tiniest fragment of her former existence. The physical affection and companionship become compensation that make the restrictions almost bearable. Offred seems suddenly so content that she does not say yes when Ofglen asks her to gather information about the Commander.
Some Women, like the Wives and Aunts, support Gilead’s existence by serving as agents of this totalitarian state. While a woman like Serena Joy has no power in the world of men, she exercises authority within her own household and seems to delight in her tyranny over Offred. She jealously guards what little power she has and wields it eagerly. In a similar way, the women known as Aunts, especially Aunt Lydia, act as willing agents of the Gileadean state. They indoctrinate other women into the ruling ideology, keep a close eye out for rebellion, and generally serve the same function for Gilead that the Jewish police did under Nazi rule. Although they cannot get pregnant and bear a child as a Handmaid do, they are necessary for maintaining social order.
After all, giving out slight amount of power or freedom is necessary to keep our leadership firmly in control.
