The Role of Women in Spain Essay

In Spain and the Spanish colonies in South America in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, gender roles were distinct and the opportunity gap was enormous. Catalina de Erauso compares the two roles through her memoir, “Lieutenant Nun,” where she recounts her life as a transvestite in both the new and old world. Through having experienced the structured life of a woman as well as the freedom involved in being a man, de Erauso formed an identity for herself that crossed the boundaries of both genders. Catalina de Erauso’s life demonstrates the gap in freedom and opportunity for women, as compared to men, in the areas of culture, politics and economy, and religion.

Looking back at history, women’s role in the family has remained unchanged till last century. In the early times, women’s most significant profession was that of wifehood and motherhood and a “little more than a slave of her husband”(1). They were viewed as a creative

Throughout history men have been leading the battles, conquering worlds, discovering new lands, but behind every good man is a good woman! So, as I read this week, I learned an enormous amount of information about the diversity of the different roles women play according to where they might live or what era they grew up in. I will address the rights that women had, how they are viewed in society, the comparison between these women and the ones from the New Testament, the evidence to support my claim.

While men fought in the war, the women temporarily took over their job positions, but when the men returned home, the women had to return to the traditional role of being a mother and a housewife. Some women did not want to go back to the old ways, as they wanted an opportunity to work whatever position they'd like. However, under the words of the Constitution, women were to be excluded from society, as they were not considered as "persons". Eventually, though, with a fight, women got the right to vote and to work in some occupations, such as lawyers, judges, and doctors. Although they accomplished some achievements, they still weren't accepted into the Canadian society. Considerably, the 1920s for them was a

However, others would say, despite the fact that women were not legal citizens at the time, many women did their best to maintain maximum education. Women would often run their own small businesses from home by trading homemade cloth or food for cash or other goods. There are accounts of women taking up jobs outside the home as well, especially with the onset of industrialization. Still, the majority of women, especially those of the lower working classes, had to resign themselves to a very restricted life overshadowed by the men of their community.

As time progressed, the roles of men and women were more defined by what usefulness they had and what society found appropriate. Women were not allowed to obtain education, travel, or go out in public

“ The belief that women were inherently inferior in intelligence, strength, and character was so persuasive that for men like Knox, a woman ruler was almost a contradiction in terms” (“Documents for Chapters 5&6”). In the 16th century, women were looked upon as a gender that should stay in the house and work, not have power and rule over a country. Discussing the govern of Queens during the 16th century, such as Mary Tudor, Lady Jane Grey, Mary, Queen of Scots, and Elizabeth I, allowed prejudices to be lessened but never completely be erased. No matter how these four notable ladies came into power, the accomplishments they overcame, achieved and wrote about proved to be great and substantial in making history as it is written today.

Women were unable to own land property. They were only allowed to own small personal possessions. Women were not allowed to voice their opinions about public issues. Men were the only ones who could participate in political events. Women were only permitted to participate in festivals, religious events, weddings, and funerals. Women were given free time in which they were permitted to go visit a female friend only for a short period of time. All females were also not permitted to watch the Olympic Games because the contestants did not wear cloths. Chariot Racing was the only event that women were allowed to compete in. However, this was very rare because they had to own a horse. The only way women were able to attain any sort of power is when they became the wife of a prominent man. Women were socially inferior to men.

Women were considered to be the “weaker vessels ,” not as strong physically or mentally as men and less emotionally stable. Legally they could neither vote, hold public office, nor participate in legal matters on their own behalf, and opportunities for them outside the home were frequently limited .

The relationship between the gender roles reflected in telenovelas and the the role of women in Latin American countries is a matter of parallelism. This is because as Judith Butler, the author of the book Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, emphasized that it is “impossible to separate out ‘gender’ from the political and cultural intersections in which it is invariably produced and maintained”. Gender is undeniably socially constructed, and is a product of the values deemed important by that society being constantly reenacted and reinforced. In that sense, telenovelas are also another medium through which beliefs in gender can be relayed to the audience, forming what is called the “imaginable domain of gender” as they either perpetuate or go against ideal hegemony (Beard 2003).

Women weren’t allowed to vote and were usually mandatory to surrender control of their property to their husband upon marriage. Their educational and professional opportunities were severely limited. Some men believed that a woman's place was in the home, raising children and tending to domestic affairs. First real efforts to achieve equal opportunity for women occurred in the 1800s. Throughout the early part of that century, coeducational studies at the university level were offered for the first time. State laws were passed which allowed women to retain their property after marriage.

Women took a more active role in the revolutionary process and rendered themselves useful in society (Henretta, 2009). Women’s status in the family, society, and politics had long been a subject of argument. The rights women had during this time were an issue for years. Women were viewed as “subordinate to males’ and were subject to laws and regulations imposed by men. However, the role of women and their political, economic, and social rights shifted greatly because of the revolution. Because they were responsible for marrying, raising families, and performing the duties of diligent wives and mothers, they took action and pursued to support the revolution. Women resolved to contribute to the liberation of their

Women were expected to basically be merely an object, even a trophy for their husbands. They were expected to stay home and clean, as well as cook. With all these expected tasks, women hardly had any time to branch out and figure out what they wanted to do with their life. They had no time for leisure activities of any kind because, of course, their activities involved taking care of the house. Women were also seen as the weaker sex, always submissive to their dominant male counterpart. Although the women were submissive, they were held to a higher moral standard. Adultery was twice shamed upon if committed by a woman rather than a man. (Hughes par.3) A woman could be stoned to death, but people would turn their cheek for a man while the woman still was expected to stay beside the man.

Women withstood a multitude of limitations in the medieval era. Due to the political, social, and religious restrictions women encountered, historians neglected to realize that they demonstrated agency. The female experience is something that has been overlooked until recently. Unfortunately, without the knowledge of how women found ways to exert their power, we are experiencing a deficit of knowledge in this period. Through the close examination of the primary sources: The Gospel of Mary, Dhouda’s Liber Manualis, and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, the creative means of female force are displayed.

The fascinating and beautiful country of Spain is one of the largest countries in Europe. The history that Spain has had has left great stories to tell and remarkable landmarks to visit. Spain is located in the south west corner of Europe, with its neighboring countries, Portugal and France. It has a population of forty million plus people, but almost one-third of the nation’s population is foreigners that reside in its territory. One of the most important facts about Spain is that its economy is one of the largest in the world. Spain is currently in a recession, with low employment rates and poverty.