On many social levels, the Protestant Reformation upended the traditional mores and structures of Northern Europe. Regarding gender roles, the Protestant Reformation's chief disruption was to change what was considered the ideal form of womanhood, namely by emphasizing motherhood and the raising of children over against the Catholic ideal of celibate "brides for Christ," better known as nuns. In terms of political power, freedoms, and rights for women, the Protestants did not break very sharply with Catholic teaching.

During the Dark Ages, women were persecuted heavily throughout Europe and were often characterized as agents of the devil. This persisted throughout the Renaissance period as the high-minded ideals of the period rarely penetrated beyond the highly educated (and demographically tiny) social classes. Persecution of women intensified during the Protestant Reformation as the influence of Christianity and the demonization of women was revitalized; many women were executed for witchcraft in this time period. During the Enlightenment era, as Europeans turned away from superstition and towards rational explanations for events, the persecution of women subsided dramatically.

Isabella d’Este was one of the most famous women of the Renaissance era. She was a leading figure of the Italian Renaissance and was widely respected for her patronage of the arts. In Renaissance Europe it was generally considered that the highest ideal that a Renaissance woman could attain was to be an active and enthusiastic patron of the arts.

The Quakers were the first Christian group to prominently allow women to speak from the pulpit. The Quakers firmly believed, at least doctrinally, in the spiritual equality of women, although as they grew in number they became less inclined towards extending full equality to women.

Madame Geoffrin ran a salon during the Enlightenment era in France. Salons were informal meeting places, particularly in France, where like-minded thinkers could meet freely to discuss radical or revolutionary ideas. Salons were particularly important to spreading the ideas of the Enlightenment and to encouraging new developments. They were very often sponsored by aristocratic women.

Gender equality has made massive strides in the second half of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first in Europe, particularly in Northern and Western Europe. This has led to declining birth rates and smaller families, as women have much greater control over when and if they decide to have children. It has also led to higher life expectancy for women and the fact there are generally more women in higher education than men; however, it has not yet resulted in equal wages being paid to men and women for the same job—men still earn significantly more than women on average.

A Vindication on the Rights of Women was written in 1792 by Mary Wollstonecraft. It is considered one of the seminal feminist texts of the Enlightenment era. In it, Wollstonecraft argues that women are not actually inferior to men, as was widely believed at the time; rather, they simply appear to be less capable because they are denied the same opportunities and access to education that was generally given to men.

The March on Versailles, often known as the Women's March on Versailles, was one of the major events that sparked the French Revolution. In the days leading up to the March, bread had become scarce and quite expensive. Thousands of women began to congregate in the marketplaces of Paris seeking food for themselves and their families. Worsening economic conditions led to these congregations sparking riots, and revolutionary advocates in the city persuaded the women to direct their frustrations directly at the King. The market women and their revolutionary allies raided the royal armory in Paris and marched to the royal residence at Versailles. The King had fled to Versailles to avoid the revolutionary pressures building within the city. The Women's March successfully subjected the previously absolutist French monarch to the demands of popular movements and is thus seen as an important event in the demise of the French monarchy.

Artemisia Gentileschi is regarded as one of the leading artists of the baroque period and is generally considered to be one of the most progressive artists of her time period. She made a notable impact regarding gender equality in her native Italy when she became the first woman to be admitted into the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence in the first half of the seventeenth century.

Laura Cereta was an Italian woman and leading humanist figure of the early Renaissance. She wrote a series of essays styled as letters to other philosophers and leading humanists in which she attacked the gender bias of her time period and advocated for female education and advancement.