ABSTRACT
The lives of the women who belonged to the ethnic minorities have to be seen in a different religious framework, such as Jewish or Muslim, although the concept of patriarchy applied to them all. The Jewish presence in Spain, southern France and Italy, like the Christian, can be traced back to Roman times. The lives of the women who belonged to the ethnic minorities have to be seen in a different religious framework, such as Jewish or Muslim, although the concept of patriarchy applied to them all. The Jewish presence in Spain, southern France and Italy, like the Christian, can be traced back to Roman times. Gender parallels exist between Christian, Jewish and Muslim women in the Middle Ages. All lived in a patriarchal society; women were regarded as subordinate to men and their responsibilities centred on marriage, household and children.
