Latin American Women

737 Words2 Pages

The colonization of Latin America and Africa impacted the way both societies worked. It changer how gender was perceived and gender roles. Before being colonized women had more opportunities to influence society and hold power. After being colonized women were put into the role of housewives and made to bere and raise children. Many women were not even educated. European colonization restricted women and took away political power, the societal influence that they already had. Before Latin America was colonized women had actual rights. In Mayan civilization, women could rule over a city-state. It mentions in a World History textbook that “ Maya records and carvings show that women occasionally governed on their own or in the name of their young …show more content…

One of them may enter his house and find his wife with her man friend without making any objection…” This means that women had the freedom to choose who she is friends with and spend time with them. Women could also marry without the permission of her family. Ibn Battuta stated that “ If anyone wishes to marry one of them he may do so,” This shows that women can marry who they want without their families controlling them and that marriages were not arranged. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti wrote that “ Women, owned property, traded, and exercised considerable political and social influences in society.” and “ Whatever disabilities there were then endured both by men and women alike.” This shows that women had more equality in society. Before colonization women had more equality and rights. They had …show more content…

Men were forced to work leaving women to raise the children. In fact, women according to Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti “ Not more than one percent of the women of Nigeria can or write.” Women were not taught to read or write there was no value in their education because they did not need to be. Their job was to raise a family. Even before the colonization women were valued less. Women were sold for less than men during the slave trade. “ thirteen bars of iron for a male, ten for a female” this shows that women were worth less than their male peers. Three bars of iron to be exact. If these are the ideas of women before colonized than the ideas will carry out until after colonization. Leaving women to be thought to be worth less in society, taking away any power or influence that they once

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