Civilization's First Glass CeilingHow an agricultural shift devalued female labor.

From the show

Hidden Architecture of Patriarchy

The adoption of a single farming tool may be responsible for a major decline in women's status across societies. This story examines the plow hypothesis, which argues that the shift from hoe to plow-based agriculture fundamentally altered the division of labor along gender lines. By requiring immense upper-body strength, the plow shifted primary food production from women to men. This change diminished women's economic contribution and, with it, their social authority, leaving a legacy that still shapes gender roles today.