Gender equality thumb|upright=1.2|Kibbutznikiyot (female Kibbutz members), training at Mishmar HaEmek during the 1948 Palestine war thumb|right|upright=1.1|Kibbutz Gan Shmuel in 1953 The role of gender equality on the kibbutz is very complex and has gone through cycles since the founding of the first kibbutzim. Since there were many different kibbutzim, women had different experiences at each particular one. Some say that women were and are completely equal to men on the kibbutz while others insist there has always been inequality. In the early days of the movement, kibbutzim tended to be male-dominated with significantly more male members. Nevertheless, women performed many of the same tasks as men. Both men and women worked in the fields, performed guard duty, and heavy labor. However, mostly women filled the traditional female roles, such as cooking, sewing, and cleaning.
Gender equality thumb|upright=1.2|Kibbutznikiyot (female Kibbutz members), training at Mishmar HaEmek during the 1948 Palestine war thumb|right|upright=1.1|Kibbutz Gan Shmuel in 1953 The role of gender equality on the kibbutz is very complex and has gone through cycles since the founding of the first kibbutzim. Since there were many different kibbutzim, women had differen,t experiences at each particular one. Some say that women were and are completely equal to men on the kibbutz while others insist there has always been inequality. In the early days of the movement, kibbutzim tended to be male-dominated with significantly more male members. Nevertheless, women performed many of the same tasks as men. Both men and women worked in the fields, performed guard duty, and heavy labor. However, mostly women filled the traditional female roles, such as cooking, sewing and cleaning.