Farming made women more sedentary and easier to control than your average ranging, roaming female forager, who was likely to spend a good part of several days per week far from her husband or partner. In a more subtle but no less effective shift from female autonomy, being less active on the farm increased a woman’s fat stores and jacked up her fertility, which in turn shortened interbirth intervals. This meant having more children more quickly and even more dependence on men for subsistence for oneself and one’s now more numerous dependent offspring.
