Women in Maya Society - Maya Women Today

Maya Women Today

Though there have been politically and religiously notable women, the predominant roles of women in Maya society have been as helper, child bearer, mother, and wife. Maya women were of great importance in Maya society, but had different roles than men. Spanish colonization affected the roles of women. Because the Spanish killed many men or transported them away for labor, Maya women had to take on greater roles, including those of single mothers and primary breadwinner. They often had to work outside their homes. About a century after the conquest, even noble women were forced to work, since by then they had lost most of their possessions and status.

Most Maya people live in rural areas, although increasing numbers are going to cities. Today, most Maya women depend mainly on their husbands to support the family. Family sizes have declined as some women are choosing to have fewer children than the women before them. As their society modernizes and Maya women take increasingly complex social and economic roles, having numerous children does not provide the same benefits as it once did.

In areas with the highest percentage of indigenous Maya populations, women still dress in the traditional Maya garb, which has been standard for centuries. Weaving is an integral part of their culture, and an art learned by almost all young women. Traditional Maya religion is practiced alongside Catholicism in most of the Maya areas, and Christianity has absorbed its elements as a syncretic religion.