Would Women Rule Differently From Men if Given a Chance?

If history is any indicator, the answer is yes.

Photo by Marija Zaric on Unsplash

Being a woman is powerful. It gives happiness and satisfaction — regardless of age, time or place. However, when we talk about the past, we show women in an oppressed light where — women were denied voting rights, divorce was near impossible, the inability of women to work outside, and the violence against women was more rampant than it’s now.

You’d be surprised to know that there are many instances from history which stand out and show women having the upper hand in societies. There was no feministic movement back then or no personal agenda to motivate their cause. They ruled their societies to serve their people — time and again. From the long list of such societies, I will mention three instances where women held power and changed the course of history.

The Spartan Women

Spartan laws were laid down by the legendary lawmaker Lycurgus. He established the laws in the 7th century BCE keeping in mind that the Spartan society must progress as a powerful and threatening one. They were very advanced for their era. Women were given a lot more freedom and allowances to help advance the nation of Sparta.

The Archaic Greek poets and historians, along with the mythology passed down from one generation to the next, have sung laurels of the brave lives of the Spartan women who lived for generations. What set these women apart from the other Greek women was their unmatched beauty and their formal education. Their earnings came from the land holdings they or their family owned through the government-funded land distribution programs. Landholding for women was unheard of back then.

The Spartan women were permitted to exercise outdoors unclothed, like their male counterparts. They gave a tough competition in athletic events. Strong women were seen fit to give birth to strong babies who would, in turn, become great warriors when they grow up.

Mixing the opposite sexes in Sparta was common and allowed their women to exchange conversations about the then happenings around the world. In a world dominated by testosterone, their sharp wit and outspoken nature set them apart from the rest of the women worldwide.