Question

1. What were some of the factors that contributed to women's inferior status in Western European society? Discuss at least two examples.

2. Describe the challenges that English colonial women experienced upon settling in North America. Discuss at least three examples from day-to-day life in your response.

Answer 1

1. Women did not enjoy economic power which contributed to the inferior status as they were not able to earn their living because of limited opportunities.

They did not enjoy any legal status as limited / nil property or land was left in their name which increased their dependency on male members.

2. Upon settling in North America, the disparity was high as women were not allowed to get educated, and even if they earned a partial education they could not earn a living.

There were made to be dependent on men to earn their living and for their survival.

They did not enjoy any voting power which increased the level of inequality in the economy further as all the decisions were made by the men, wherein the decisions favoured the men drastically and further reduced the role of women. On the other hand when women were allowed to vote, there was a general consensus that there was no independent thought and that it followed the general thought process of the male members in the family.

In day to day life they did not enjoy any decision making power, the ability to voice their opinions and the challenge of society thinking their thoughts to be non coherent.