The Role of Women in Foraging and Horticultural Based Societies

In foraging and horticultural based societies women play an important role in the nutritional provisioning for the household and even the community. Their jobs were to be the gatherers of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other staples used to compliment or supplement the meat hunted by the men. The hunting and gathering structure depended on whether the environment in which the tribe or band was located was marginal or not. In a marginal environment hunting for meat was only seasonal or occasional, therefore their main source of food, on a continuous basis was, that of the gardens or vegetation fields. Even the Sans, living in the most marginal environment, went by this method of providing food. According to the text, their diets were 80% dependant on gathered items, which was primarily provided by the women (Nowak & Laird, 2010).