As I was preparing to write this article on the traditional role of women in business I happened to watch an interview with Dr. Josephine Gross* of Networking Times (a publication for network marketing) in which she was talking about the origins of commerce.
Dr. Gross pointed out that the original purpose of commerce was to bring peace and prosperity to the community, a purpose that seems to have gotten lost in the modern age. She also talked about how the priests and priestesses were in charge of commerce which was seen as a sacred thing, and it was the job of the merchant priests and merchant priestesses to make sure that the entire community benefitted from their commercial activity.
Then, at some point during our ancient past, according to Dr. Gross, there was a shift to a male dominated commerce environment where the focus turned to making as much money as possible, whatever the cost. Unfortunately, this is the business environment that we have retained over the centuries and there is plenty of evidence of this male dominated egocentric business attitude in the Information Age that we are currently living in.
In fact, once the shift to a male dominated commercial society had taken place, women were effectively 'locked out' of being influential in societies all around the world. In many countries women couldn't have their own property, their own money or participate in a political activities including voting.
The more resourceful women soon started to develop so called 'cottage industries' which could
only include activities that were deemed 'socially
acceptable for women to do' such as spinning yarn
and weaving cloth. Some ladies kept chickens and sold the eggs, or kept goats for the milk. Of course,
there was usually the wise woman of the village
who knew about herbs and sold potions and often acted as the local midwife. In short, women did whatever they could within the confines of what society expected of them to earn a few extra coins to feed their family better, or they'd use the extra money to buy clothes or education for their children.
Somewhere, deep within the female psyche, we have somehow retained that original purpose for commerce and we understand that business shouldn't just be about creating fat bank accounts and having flashy cars, but about having a better quality of family life, enabling the next generation to have a better future and supporting our local community. This is evident today, because we have
The Traditional Role of Women in Business
My admiration for the women of that age is strong as they paved the way by showing the menfolk what women are really capable of.
By Heather Barlow
Giacomo Ceruti “Women Working on Pillow Lace (The Sewing School)” 1720’s. PD. Both men and women made lace and earned up to 25 shillings a week. http://blog.schweitzerlinen.com/lace-a-sumptuous-history-1600s-1900s/
62 | Ceres Magazine | Spring 2016