It seems to me that most of the women in the seventeenth century were in the home. For the most part they were doing household chores such as raising children, preparing meals, and taking care of the sick. This partially explains why women were so absent in science. Another reason for the scarcity of women was the fact that the witch trials were in full swing during the scientific revolution. This discouraged women even further from being outside of the norm. Coming out with scientific theories that people may not understand could have lead to the execution of a women scientist during this time. The fact that women were excluded from all formal institutions including the royal society, universities and even grammar schools, also did not help women gain knowledge.
Personally I feel like women had a major role in the minor sciences. Even though women were kept from study they still had a natural role in science through their household tasks. Women learned basic first aid and medicine by taking care of sick children and husbands. They were also skilled in the culinary sciences, constantly mixing different foods, herbs, and spices while preparing food for their families. Though women did not have any major breakthroughs in science they helped society by taking care of the sciences that are often overlooked.
Sources:
Watts, Ruth. "Gender, Science and Modernity In Seventeenth-century England." Paedagogica Historica. Feb. 2005: 79-93.
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