Women in Medieval society did not have as many rights and responsibilities as women do today. Women in the Middle Ages mainly had household responsibilities. In the small rural areas, women had many domestic responsibilities, like watching the children, preparing the food, and tending the livestock, when it was not busy. However, when it became busy in the year, they would help their husbands in the field. If women had jobs they worked in the cottage industry, which was brewing, baking, and manufacturing textiles. In the towns and more urban areas, for Medieval times, women had responsibilities quite similar to the rural areas. The difference in responsibilities is the women would help their fathers and husbands in a variety of trade and crafts.
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Women had to mainly choose between either marriage or become a nun. Women had to choose if they wanted to have a family to take care of or be on their own and become a nun. Most women chose marriage, which was usually arranged by their families, and were usually married as a teenager. However, young aristocratic women that were widowed gained legal independence and considerable financial resources. Also, the aristocratic women, widowed or not, had servants who helped them with their household responsibilities. These women were able to participate in other activities. The law, as well, limited the power of women. Such laws were; they were not allowed to marry without their parents’ consent, they couldn’t own their own business, they couldn’t divorce their husbands once married, they couldn’t own property unless they were widows, and, if they had any brothers, they couldn’t inherit their parents’ land.
The image of women portrayed in Medieval times were played through for centuries, until the 1900s. Women have had roles of house and child caring with little to no power and, according to the Bible, were inferior to men. Other than the choice of marriage or church, women did not have choice for the direction of their lives. Women even had laws against them that were made by men. This image has been showed for centuries and only recently in history have women gained more independence and
Women had to mainly choose between either marriage or become a nun. Women had to choose if they wanted to have a family to take care of or be on their own and become a nun. Most women chose marriage, which was usually arranged by their families, and were usually married as a teenager. However, young aristocratic women that were widowed gained legal independence and considerable financial resources. Also, the aristocratic women, widowed or not, had servants who helped them with their household responsibilities. These women were able to participate in other activities. The law, as well, limited the power of women. Such laws were; they were not allowed to marry without their parents’ consent, they couldn’t own their own business, they couldn’t divorce their husbands once married, they couldn’t own property unless they were widows, and, if they had any brothers, they couldn’t inherit their parents’ land.
The image of women portrayed in Medieval times were played through for centuries, until the 1900s. Women have had roles of house and child caring with little to no power and, according to the Bible, were inferior to men. Other than the choice of marriage or church, women did not have choice for the direction of their lives. Women even had laws against them that were made by men. This image has been showed for centuries and only recently in history have women gained more independence and