▁sometimes ▁demonstrated ▁improved ▁far ming ▁techniques . ▁ ▁Christian ▁mission aries ▁played ▁a ▁public ▁role , ▁especially ▁in ▁prom oting ▁san itation ▁and ▁public ▁health . ▁ ▁Many ▁were ▁trained ▁as ▁phys icians , ▁or ▁took ▁special ▁courses ▁in ▁public ▁health ▁and ▁tropical ▁medicine ▁at ▁Living stone ▁College , ▁London . ▁ ▁Furthermore , ▁Christian ▁mission ary ▁activities ▁were ▁studied ▁and ▁copied ▁by ▁local ▁activ ists ▁and ▁had ▁an ▁influence ▁upon ▁religious ▁politics , ▁on ▁proph etic ▁movements ▁such ▁as ▁those ▁in ▁X h osa ▁soci eties , ▁on ▁emer ging ▁national ism ▁in ▁South ▁African ▁and ▁India , ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁African ▁independent ▁churches , ▁and ▁sometimes ▁upgrad ing ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁native ▁women . ▁ ▁Histor ians ▁have ▁begun ▁to ▁analyze ▁the ▁ag ency ▁of ▁women ▁in ▁over se as ▁miss ions . ▁At ▁first , ▁mission ary ▁soci eties ▁officially ▁en rolled ▁only ▁men , ▁but ▁women ▁increasing ly ▁ins isted ▁on ▁playing ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁roles . ▁Single ▁women ▁typically ▁worked ▁as ▁educ ators . ▁W ives ▁assist ed ▁their ▁mission ary ▁hus b ands ▁in ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁roles . ▁Adv oc ates ▁stopped ▁short ▁of ▁calling ▁for ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁specified ▁gender ▁roles , ▁but ▁they ▁str essed ▁the ▁inter connected ness ▁of ▁the ▁public ▁and ▁private ▁spher es ▁and ▁spoke ▁out ▁against ▁per ception s ▁of ▁women ▁as ▁weak ▁and ▁house - bound . ▁ ▁Education ▁In ▁the ▁colon ies ▁that ▁became ▁domin ions , ▁education ▁was ▁left ▁primarily ▁in ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁local ▁officials