The Role of Women in the Inca Empire

 

Through the years, women have achieved many important things and have been recognized in the world and in our country for their effort and perseverance. They have fought to have a place and be called by name and by all that they have accomplished to be where they are. 

In the Inca Empire, most women were expected to marry in their teens. They just came to a mutual agreement and got married. Women would move in with their husbands and immediately begin working at his family's house, while half of the property she gained from the marriage went back to the local Ayllu. 

Moreover, it is essential to mention Acllahuasi, which means Chosen Women or Virgins of the Sun, a group of women, where they were divided, either by their gifts, beauty, lineage etc, who entered at the age of 8 years,were cared for by eunuchs, these women were dedicated to textiles and the preparation of chicha, these services were given to the Inca state. These women were given to men to marry by the Inca, as an example we can mention when Atahualpa gave Pizarro his half-sister, Quispe Sisa. As an example of women in power would be as priestesses, there were curaca women, heads of the ayllus.

In general, most all the women of the Inca Empire remained subordinate, except for some ethnic groups such as Huaylas. The vast majority of the chroniclers preferred to record events of the daily life of men, but not women, also mentioned that women were represented by sculptures and drawing on vessels.