Not to start a gender war or anything, but historically, if the women were not fighting it was because the men did not want them to fight. Training in arms was actively discouraged for most women. Their role was to look after the children, and at most to be a support system, fetching supplies for the warriors and such. <P>The male children, of course, would have already had some training in arms, so they would be called forward first to stand with the men in defense against the enemy. Plus there is that whole "male pride" issue. They don't <I>want</I> the women folk fighting beside them. It's a guy thing.<P>Now once the warriors are all dead or wounded, the women are left to their own devices, and history has shown that they will fight, especially when it come to protecting their children. But up until the bitter end, the men called the shots, and the women would be expected to stay back and let the "stronger sex" handle the fighting.
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