In the last decades women's role in the workforce has dramatically changed though gender
inequality persists and for women gender identity still prevails over work identity. It is
important not to forget or diminish the historical role of women in the labour market though
and this book proposes a critical overview of the most recent historical research on women's
roles in economic urban activities. Covering a wide area of early modern Europe from Portugal
to Poland and from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean Bellavitis presents an overview of the
economic rights of women - property inheritance management of their wealth access to the
guilds access to education - and assesses the evolution of female work in different urban
contexts.
