Women During The Renaissance

The Renaissance was a time of rebirth, where literature and art seemed to take center stage and the belief in human potential dominated all parts of the 15th century. Despite these advancements, women remained in a state of subjugation. Women were given no say in who they married, they were expected to birth their husbands children and dedicate their lives to becoming housewives and pleasing their husbands. Women were confined to household duties. They were given no political rights and were limited in their access to education. The Renaissance made no significant progress towards women's equality.
“Renaissance children who survived found their lives governed by parentage and by gender”(327) Being born a woman was already a disadvantage since families preferred sons. A son could carry on the family legacy while a girl was seen as a financial burden because the father would be required to pay a dowry when she married. “ Male heads of households were the source of all power in their domicile, in their shops and in their state.” Boys were expected and prepared to become involved in politics and to inherit the family business, whereas women were simply expected to prepare for marriage and remain pure. Women were expected to remain pure for their husbands and to be modest in the way they dressed and carried themselves. “A woman worthy of praise must show first of all in her conduct, modesty,
Women were still expected to fulfill their duties as housewives and were not given access to education or political rights that their husbands enjoyed. Every aspect of a woman's life was determined by her father's decisions and the economic status that she was born into. Life for women during the renaissance was difficult, it is clear that women were not considered equal to their male counterparts and did not enjoy the same freedoms or rights as they