The term is applied in the context of various times and cultures, for example: • The "Four Women of Paradise" are considered ideal models of virtue in Islam. They are
Khadijah, first wife of
Muhammad;
Fatima, daughter of Muhammad and Khadijah, and wife of
Ali;
Mary, mother of
Jesus; and
Asiya, wife of
the Pharaoh and adoptive mother of
Moses. • Some others often upheld as models of ideal womanhood include the matriarch
Hagar, mother of
Ishmael;
Bilqis, the Queen of Sheba; and
Eve. • For
Sunni Muslims,
Aisha is revered as a figure of particular importance. However, Aisha is generally
viewed unfavourably by
Shia Muslims. •
Sita as the ideal
Hindu or
Indian woman •
Penelope, wife of
Odysseus in the
Odyssey, described as the ideal woman of ancient Greek society, "the embodiment of chastity, generosity, cunning, and intelligence" • The concept of the
English rose, which refer to ideals of feminine beauty, manners, and temperament as they relate to concepts of
Englishness or
Britishness. •
Queen Victoria as the ideal
Victorian era woman •
Proverbs 31 woman: "wife of noble character", as described in the
Old Testament book of Proverbs, skilled in both household management and trade •
Mary, mother of Jesus as an ideal of both virgin and mother - a concept with some pervasiveness in
Latin America (see
Marianismo). • the "ideal woman" stereotype of the 1950s, described by
Betty Friedan in
The Feminine Mystique as defined by "sexual passivity, male domination, and nurturing maternal love" • The concept of the
Yamato nadeshiko in pre-modern Japan. ==Examples==