The fate of women in East Asia was strongly affected by religions that were widespread in the region. For instance, in China, Confucianism placed the role of rulers on men, dismissing and vilifying powerful women. On the other hand, Buddhism allowed and encouraged females to engage in political careers.
Thus, women who chose to follow Buddhism and assumed positions of power were perceived as evil by the society of Confucianists (Bulliet et al., p. 296). Similar to the situation in Asia, females in European nations were also viewed through the lens of religion. Their place in the community was mostly defined by men, and they were not allowed to occupy any significant positions in theological and political worlds. In Islam, men were also in charge of politics and the church.