Gender and Slavery In The Medieval Ages

       Women enslavement and sexual exploitation were widespread phenomena, especially in the medieval ages. For most individuals, the term slavery generates various historical images regarding the transatlantic slave trade, a practice that involved the buying and selling of individuals, which the contemporary world should drop behind. The term also generates various images regarding the 19th-century civil rights movement. The practice of slavery takes various forms, including forced labor, bonded labor, coerced and early marriages, sexual harassment, and human trafficking (Patterson, 1940). Generally, all forms of slavery share common themes such as individuals being; coerced towards working through poor treatment and use of violence, manipulated or owned by their employers normally through physical, mental, or threats or abuses. It also involved individuals being brutalized or treated like commodities because they are traded like ‘properties.’ It also involved individuals being inhibited or under restrictions on their freedom of speech, movement, or even changing their employment. The paper aim to analyze aspects of Slavery and Gender in the medieval period, particularly how women were exploited and harassed sexually in several cultures and communities worldwide and the harmful impacts enslavement and sexual disenfranchisement had on women.

      The patriarchal structure of the middle ages in Europe subjugated women in households; women were enslaved in the households, denied basic human rights, and sexually exploited. Emilie, in her research, argues that women in the medieval ages functioned as business commodities with no inherent value. Women were used to cementing alliance pacts and also offered as a token of peace to end wars. The argument by Emilie reflects that the society and the patriarchal system did not hold any regard for the lives of women, who, after they are offered as commodities, would be sexually harassed and subjugated by the people they were offered to (Emily, 2013). The middle age society did not know that the women in the context were actual people with actual dreams and purposes in their lives. Another aspect is the church’s role in the medieval subjugation of women; interestingly, the church did very little or nothing in sorting out the exploitation of women. Several studies have indicated that the church’s interest was not in protecting women’s rights but rather the protection of the sanctity of marriages. Admittedly, slavery in the medieval period was a quite different as compared to other periods ad slavery in other places. For instance, the medieval period was closely characterized by the presence of Christianity especially in the Roman period which was not the case with other places (Emily, 2013). Additionally, the medieval slavery was different unique in the sense that there was an aspect of slave ownership by the Europeans (Emily, 2013). In such a case existence of slaves in the medieval period existed in the form of prisoners, captives and hostages, unlike in other places where they were viewed as a source of cheap labor for economic thriving. Another distinguishing aspect of the medieval slavery is the concept of work selectivity, whereby there has been a significant transition from that period to the modern context. Initially there was a selection of works affiliated to a specific group.  

      Moreover, enslaved individuals were often provided with insufficient clothing, which greatly contributed to their vulnerability (Barker, 2013). These erotic undertones were particularly prevalent in the case of black women. Additionally, the enslavers felt within their rights to have sexual advances toward their slaves. In some cases, the enslaved people consented to the advances with the anticipation of better treatment from the master afterward; however, in most cases, the enslavers took it upon themselves to initiate, compel, and force the slave women into unwarranted sex. On rare occasions, the black women rebelled against the advances of sexual exploitation, but that had grave consequences, especially for the woman’s children (Barker, 2013). To keep things under control, the slave woman would have no choice but allow sexual subjugation for the safety of his family (Horton, 2004). Furthermore, Mulatto were born due to mixed-originality reproduction and were also susceptible to sexual harassment 

      In the article “As if she were his wife: slavery and sexual ethics in late medieval Spain,” Debra notes that the enslavers at Valencia in Spain argued that the enslaved people were victimizing them. They blamed the slave women’s seductive charms and used their sexuality to lure their masters into their traps. They insisted that their women slaves were using their sexuality to gain liberation and also to spoil their master’s reputation, as it was not allowed in the Christianity setting for a master to have illicit sexual affairs with their slaves unless they were first liberated and made concubines (Blumenthal, 2010). The enslaver’s empty rhetoric demonstrates their unwillingness to take responsibility for the acts they committed toward the slave women and also discontent with the Christian ethics towards their conduct. The sexual exploitation by landlords in medieval England and the enslaving of peasants was widespread. The patriarchal landlord tyrannized and coerced women peasants; they also encouraged their male primogenitures to exploit the women sexually. Moreover, the landlords subjugated the women occupants into unwanted marriages (Dyer, 2000). Researchers argue that the encouragement of primogeniture is a purpose of the act of labor service. The landlord’s enforced marriage rose from the desire to establish a breeding unit on each of his properties (Dyer, 2000). However exploration also had a greater factor in the article “Slavery and social deaths” the article argues that medieval Renaissance Venice Genoa had most of its people, especially women, manipulated into providing cheap labor, leading to slavery. Additionally, some of the working conditions which were used as compensation were not efficient. For instance, exchanging labor with essential utilities such as food and clothing instead of monetary provisions was among the discriminatory practices (Patterson,1984). Relating to the issue of gender and slavery in the sense that most of the injustices highlighted directly affect the welfare of women because they were the most affected culprits in the medieval and colonial eras.

      The organization of the western society was based on the natural order, whereby the man, is considered the stronger sex, headed the family, whereas the woman, who was the weaker sex, was given minor roles in the society like taking care of the family and being obedient to the husband (Melish,2016). Men on the other side were given tasks such as being knights, politicians, and merchants. During medieval times, society did not make provisions for the things a woman would do if they wanted to work (Nielson, 2018). As a result, women were discouraged from economic activities. In cases where the women had lost their husbands, it became very hard to find work due to the perceived notion of women’s inferiority. And if by chance they managed to get work, they would be paid far less than the men working in the same occupation (Blamires, 1992). Society and religion did not have space for women to climb up the hierarchy and be dominant made many women retreat into the servitude of the men who now had the sexual gratification to exploit these women sexually. The exploitation was justified because society perceived women as more lustful than men. A woman was expected to only engage in sexual practices with one man, her husband. Although the same was expected of the man, the society was very forgiving towards them (Blamires, 1992). In cases where the woman strayed and went against the community norms, she would be harassed, rebuked, mocked, stigmatized, and her reputation destroyed in an unrepairable manner.

       Prostitution was labeled in the same categories, such as the lepers, the beggars, and the criminals. The police perceived them as criminals, the Roman Catholics thought of them as sinners, and the society thought of them as unclean (Stevenson,2013). The Roman church exercised obvious double standards regarding prostitution; even though the church condemned any sexual misconduct and emphasized that sexual activities were within the confines of marriage, they had a soft spot for men, especially the young and unmarried ones, whom the church thought that if restricted a lot, would indulge in homosexuality and rape (Phillips, 2013). Therefore, prostitution posed as the remedy to the issue, and young men indulging in prostitution were tolerated. However, the church did not tolerate women performing the acts of prostitution. Instead, the church thought of them as the lowest hierarchy level (Blamires, 1992). The secular law had an equally ambiguous perspective of the prostitutes as the church. The similarity in perspective was because of the closeness of the two institutions in medieval times. Even though the legislation from each state differed greatly from each other, one thing remained, the disdain the state had for a prostitute! The legislation was drafted to ensure that it punished only a singular aspect of the act of prostitution, the woman. The women prostitutes were seen as “fallen women”; therefore, legislations were being drafted to always control prostitutes by mandating them to stay in special designated areas outside of town (Abbott, 1942). They were also prohibited from mingling with the other populace. They also had to be visibly distinguishable by their clothing; many regulations were put in place to control them: in some instances, though rare, it was obligatory to bathe, and also her food was prescribed(Abbott, 1942). She could not leave her residence of work at will. On certain days of the day, she could not be seen outside and could never go on any holiday without permission (Blamires, 1992). The worst part was that she could not report sexual misconduct propagated against her; for that reason, men frequently exploited her with no repercussions. 

      Enslavers had significant financial interests regarding the enslaved individual’s reproduction since children produced inherited their parents’ status. Such forms of natural increase were referred to as enriched enslavers’ bottom lines. Enslaved women were mostly identified in terms that declined their dignity towards their reproductive capability (Barry,1981). Some scholars note that women were referred to as ‘good breeders’ or ‘fine wench.’ Similarly, enslaved men with imposing physical ability were utilized as ‘stock men’ to impregnate several women without regard for family connections. History records several enslaved people recounting being coerced towards reproduction with over ten women and fathers with significant numbers of children. However, not only the relationships between the white men and black women relationships were exploitative. For most of the confined women, complying with the sexual desires of their enslavers was regarded as the best among most of the extremely bad options that involved being physically subjected to punishment until they conceded or being traded off if they enduringly opposed submission (Steckel, 1980). Several women agreed with their circumstances, bearing in mind that it was most likely to result in better forms of treatment for themselves and their children. Such positions included working in fair positions and environments such as domestic servants. A slave got into a long-term relationship with a white slave owner in the neighborhood to escape the brutal forms of slavery treatment (Steckel, 1980). Some slave owners provided the remuneration manumission for the favored children and concubines, even though uncertainties such as the demise of the enslaver or limitations of the plantation economies could undermine such forms of relationship promises. 

      Generally, sexual exploitation was arguably one of the weapons used by enslavers to keep the enslaved individuals degraded and subordinated. The enslavers benefited from the violations of black men’s and women’s bodies (Allain, 2017). . These include emotional and physical gratification, reaping the victimization authority, and the monetary profits related to the reproduction of the enslaved. Even though it’s in reduced phases, slavery exists in the contemporary world. Research shows that approximately 27 million children and adult individuals are currently being enslaved across the globe. For instance, the East European women are stuck in prostitution in Western Europe, juveniles are being trafficked across the West African nations, while men are coerced into working as enslaved people on the Brazilian agricultural plantations. Both the past and contemporary slavery can affect individuals of any sex, or age on any continent and in most nations (Allain, 2017). 

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