For many years women were less important and less valued in everyday life than men. They were not allowed to vote, to take part in public and political life, to drink alcoholic drinks and in some countries even to go to the street with covering everything expect their eyes. And if some women had broken that rules, they were punished, sometimes very severely, even by death. In fact, women were not always the weak one in society. Since primitive society, women have played different role in different society and in different times. In matriarchal society, women are important and more powerful than men. In paternal line society, men are everything to women. .
In primitive society, when production was simple and the population was low, women's role as the bears of children was important and respected. Though men and women might have their separate tasks and rituals, women as well as men took part in the most important decisions, such as whether to move a settlement or male war on another band or tribe. Women and men had the same rights.
For example, there is no prerogative in relation to the important sources of influence in San society. Since there is no formal leaders or hierarchies, decisions are made on the basis of group consensus. Each group has people, whose opinion has more weight because of age, intelligence, charisma, knowledge or having ancestors who have lived in the area longer. These people tend to be more prominent in group discussions and despite their lack of formal authority, they function as group leader. Men occupy these positions more often than women, but old women, especially who's with large families assumed such roles. Ownership of water holes is inherited through women as well as men. And although possession of water holes is symbolic it gives an important status to women. .
Also, women can be healers, but men traditionally dominated this sphere of San's life. Most often women use their healing skills in response to the need of a close family member and not in a ritual setting.
