3. Physical activity for women was unacceptable.
At the beginning of the 19th century, people believed that girls and women were supposed to preserve their bodies for one special purpose — childbirth. It was believed that physical activity was dangerous for women. And the bigger the physical difference between men and women, the easier it was to control women.
However, this “system” was not very consistent. It only worked for noble women. Words like, “Women are usually physically smaller and weaker than men, their brain is far lighter, and there is simply no way that they can do the same work as men, both physically and mentally,” did not apply to poor women. Working-class women did a lot in coal mines, steel mills, and in the textile and agricultural industries. Along with children, they transported coal through narrow mines. More than that, factory owners often preferred hiring women instead of men, because it was easier to make them do hard physical work and they could be paid less.
By the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the attitude toward physical activity started to change. Girls from the middle and the upper class were finally able to play tennis, badminton, and cricket, they could also do archery, swim, and do gymnastics. The good physical shape of future mothers ensures the health of their offspring.