Sometimes we only get glimpses of the communities and alliances women had when we see them being undermined and stigmatized. The example discussed in this article (among many other details) of a law in 16th century Chester that outlawed rituals around birth that had previously been a context for women to gather and celebrate -- all in the name of "cutting down on unnecessary spending" -- remind us that social history is cyclical. Women's history in general (just like queer women's history in specific) hasn't ben some sort of constant "progress" from more oppressed to more empowered. Those medieval societies that get stigmatized for being misogynistic included many economic and social opportunities that were narrowed and restricted in the Early Modern period. Consider making your medieval protagonist a brewer and tapster and you'll find all manner of opportunities!
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