Woman's world

Pre-Roman Britain's two millennia-old grave sites with remains of Celtic women reveal that they lived in a matrilineal society; women did not have to leave their homes; it is the men who came to their homes to live with them. Women called the shots and when they died, expensive items were interred with them, to help their onward journey to the beyond. In contrast, men were buried with perhaps a jar of beverage and a joint of meat, reports Nature magazine, to slake their thirst on their afterlife voyage. Durotriges tribe's Celtic women, whose remains were unearthed close to Bournemouth, had been buried along with jewellery, combs, mirrors, and even swords and chariots. The gender shift seems to have happened with Roman incursions and continued that way for the following centuries. Celtic women are known to have led tribes and armies; they were largely decision-makers and inheritors.

In India, too, three or more millennia ago, women were respected and enjoyed their rights in society. 'One of the earliest inscriptions to mention a female political figure is the Hathigumpha inscription, which was created around 1500 BCE. It records deeds and statements of a woman, Tvastari. The inscription provides evidence that women were engaged in politics and had an impact on society during this early (Vedic) period,' points out Osmania University history scholar-researcher V Nagalaxmi.

Later, violent invasions by outsiders led to vulnerable women being protected, leading to male domination and subsequent gender inequalities. This might have created societal obsession with male progeny and the seclusion and suppression of women.