What was the role and status of men and women within the Iroquois Confederacy?

In the Iroquois Confederacy, men and women had distinct but complementary roles. Men typically held positions of political power, serving as chiefs and decision-makers, while women were responsible for managing households and agricultural production, which was central to the Iroquois economy. Notably, women also held significant influence in political matters, as they selected and could remove chiefs, reflecting a matrilineal structure where lineage and inheritance were traced through the female line. This balance of power contributed to a relatively egalitarian society compared to many contemporary cultures.