Comparing Women's Work with Nena Vandeweerdt

Comparing Women's Work with Nena Vandeweerdt

From The Medieval Podcast by Danièle Cybulskie

March 26, 2026 · 46 min · Episode 334

About this episode

Danièle Cybulskie interviews Nena Vandeweerdt about the various roles and regulations of women's work in medieval society.

Last week, we talked about a woman whose work was to support her husband’s dreams of conquest – and her son’s dreams of rebellion. But what about the medieval women whose work was a little more ordinary? What was the 9-5 like for the women who kept households, shops, and towns running? And how did that work differ from place to place? This week, Danièle speaks with Nena Vandeweerdt about women's work inside and outside of guild structures, how it was regulated, and how opportunities changed for women across time and space. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread the joy of medieval history, please visit patreon.com/themedievalpodcast

People in this episode

Host: Danièle Cybulskie

Guest: Nena Vandeweerdt

Topics covered

  • women's work
  • medieval history
  • guild structures
  • household management
  • economic roles
  • social history

Keywords

  • medieval women
  • work
  • guilds
  • households
  • shops
  • towns
  • regulation
  • opportunities

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: patreon.com/themedievalpodcast

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