Unlike their Athenian counterparts, Spartan women certainly were not marginalised. Everyone in Spartan society was expected to support the military ethos on which the society was based. Women were forbidden to spin or weave as such tasks were seen as tasks fit only for slaves. They were also excluded from holding public office and did not have the right to vote. Though they did not participate in government, the women did enjoy considerable freedom, could accumulate property and exercise considerable power.
Athenian men thought women were both morally and physically weak to an extent. Laws related to Athenian women suggest women were morally and physically weak. In Athenian Courts, women are debarred from participating in any political or legal processes and if they were involved in any situation of that sort, their identity would go unnamed, if they of respectful/honourable kind. Women were also seen as an asset to the oikos and always need to be under a guardianship of the kurios, which is usually either their fathers and later, after marriage, their husbands. And if a woman succumbs to acts adultery, this is seen as a great threat for the Oikos as the women can no longer be seen as honourable or chase, casting doubt on children’s legitimacy.
The main role of any Spartan woman was to produce healthy children who would grow to be the warriors and wives of warriors in the future. Spartan women were not citizens, but enjoyed social privilege and had social and economic freedoms not enjoyed by other women in Greece. Girls were publicly, though informally educated. They were encouraged to undertake exercise. According to Plutarch, Spartan women were encouraged to ‘exercise themselves with wrestling, running, throwing the quoit, and casting the dart, to the ende that the fruit they conceived might, in strong and healthy bodies, take firmer root and find better growth,…they, with this greater vigour, might be able to undergo the pains of childbearing’.
In the Greek period, women were not aloud to have any of their own properties; such as land or houses. If a woman wanted to have something of her own during that period she was cast out and more then likely stoned to death. In todays society however, a woman who owns her own house or car is respected for being independent and being able to support herself. Today, women are looked up on as the “brats” that always get their way. Some people even go as far to try to prove that women get better treatment in some cases because of the sexual status.
Roman women in ancient times, though discriminated against on ground of gender but was seen as the most liberated in the world of that time. When looking at the sources for ancient roman women many questions are asked and considered, such as, what was the role of roman women in their society? Were they considered citizens who had personal freedoms, or were given no or little education? Were there roles really important to society? Whenever we go through the records of roman women's status in society there is always a great consternation.
Women had to obey their fathers and or husbands but in this city-state they had the right to take over rule if their father or husband ever left. Sparta didn’t believe in trade the just took what they wanted. They believed that they were a superior city-state and everything was a competition. Athens and Sparta are both city-states of Greece but they had different values and beliefs. Sparta didn’t believe in trade or learning about poetry or art, they were all about their strong defense system.
Roman women were allowed own property, manage their own legal affairs, allowed to be educated, and in some cases even allowed to be active in public life (Fiero, 2011). Roman women were not equal to men, but unlike the Greeks and the philosophical conclusions between man and women, were allotted the freedoms to contribute to activities outside the home and needs of the husband. Art Greek sculptors often created sculptures of bronze and marble. These works of art define how the two cultures viewed the relationship of men and women in public and private life. The Greek show men as posed in a style similar to the Egyptians that depicts a sense of dignity and authority (Fiero, 2011).
Private Role - The Athenian women had quite an important private role. Athenian women dominated the Greek home life. In the household a wife’s role was to take care of their home, supervise slaves, raise the children and supervise the daily running of the household. Their responsibility was to have healthy children, to manage the household and to care for and educate the children. They taught their daughters skills in spinning, weaving, sewing, cooking and other household jobs.
The Role of Women in Ancient Egypt No matter the time period, country, or society, no one can deny the importance of women’s roles throughout history. Some have been powerful, influential rulers while others have had to suffer and be treated as weaker and insignificant. In some societies, women were treated as property and were only considered as valuable as their family or husband. On the other hand, ancient Egypt allowed women much more freedom. I am interested in this topic because Egyptian society is interesting to me and I think that they had a good system for gender roles.
We know this is not true because women have done everything in this world that men have including dangerous adventure sports yet they considered to be lower than men .Their talents are not as recognized as men’s talents are and they are mostly looked upon as not being fit for the same jobs as men are. These issues are presented in the texts examined in this essay. The song “What it feels like for a Girl” by Madonna and the essay “Fifty one percent Minority” by Doris Anderson are about Gender Inequality and how women are treated in society. The song by Madonna describes the pressure women feel to conform to social norms of politeness and subservience and the essay by Doris Anderson is about discriminatory practises that are done against women in Canada. Anderson is also one of Canada’s leading advocates of women rights.