Gender equality remains a struggle for many countries today. Indeed, the abilities of women to lead are always faced with suspicion and doubts. However, unknown to many, the Golden Age of Southeast Asia represents a time and place when female rule flourished in a remarkable fashion. Across the many kingdoms of the region, between the 1st and the 18th centuries, female rule was not just allowed but it was often preferred. Let’s learn more about the status of women in precolonial Southeast Asia!