Patricia Johns

This is a good question!

You’ve seen Amish women in their long dresses, with their head coverings, and probably trying to avoid eye contact with you, unless you are a customer they are serving. And people ask… are these women happy? Are they being held back?

The Amish live by some very strict gender roles both in their religion and in their daily life. As a North American woman, that can raise my anxiety, because we have seen strict gender roles used to control women in the past.

With The Amish, there is women’s work and men’s work. Women work inside the home and yard with food preparation, gardening, lawn care, cleaning, canning, and sewing. Men work outside on the farm, or at their jobs. They take care of the money, work to provide for their families, mainly take care of the livestock and horses, build, repair, and do traditional “men’s work.”

So… are the women repressed, kept in the home and not allowed to advance themselves?

First of all, the gender roles in the Amish faith assume a happy, functional, supportive marriage. They work very well for Amish families so long as both partners are understanding, loving and supportive. In other words–this works great so long as there is no abuse!

For example, when the man gets sick, the woman will be outside caring for the animals. When the woman is sick, the man is cooking and cleaning as well as caring for the outdoor work. So no one is really tied to “just one job,” as anyone who has grown up on a farm would know. They pitch in where needed. So while the women have certain jobs that fall to them, that doesn’t mean that the men won’t help with those jobs when circumstances aren’t ideal.

Secondly, women often open small businesses. They will make hand crafts, sew quilts, open shops, and even sell their wares from their homes. They always find ways to bring in a little extra money while taking care of the home and children. These women are smart, efficient and have very full lives. They have many friends, lots of extended family, and a lot of community support. And might I add, they have the exact same education level as the men.

With the Amish, marriage is for life–there is no divorce, and even after separation, so long as the partner lives, there is no remarriage. So they’d best work things out if they don’t want to be lonesome. That can be dangerous in an abusive situation, though. But I would point out that the men are bound by the same constraints in marriage. Once they are married, they cannot “trade up.” It is a decision for life, and they must love and support one wife for a lifetime. So there are protections against a woman being cast aside later in life, or even abandoned if she can’t have children or somehow displeases her husband.

So I will answer the question by saying no, Amish women are not repressed, however, like in any society, the women are vulnerable to abuses, and Amish culture is no different. However the culture is based upon an ideal, mutual, supportive, respectful relationship between the sexes, and when those ideals are met, the entire community thrives.

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If you’re interested in Amish culture, or if you love Amish fiction, why not pick up my new release, Green Pastures? It’s getting some great reviews!

After her divorce, Tabitha returns to Lancaster County as a veterinarian and to rejoin Amish society. With their sister home, Amanda takes a risk to find love with a man with a troubling past, and Rose navigates the complexities of marriage. Together, the sisters are determined to remain faithful to themselves and their community, no matter the sacrifices.

It’s on the shelves now!