Final answer:
Women in hunter-gatherer societies primarily served as gatherers of food, playing a crucial role in sustainment and influencing social dynamics, thereby contesting traditional views of male dominance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Women in hunter-gatherer societies likely played a pivotal role in bringing about dramatic change by serving as gatherers of food and contributing substantially to their groups' diets. Gathered plant foods, often collected by women, provided a significant portion of the calories for their communities. Traditionally, women were involved in gathering plant foods and small animals, which was essential to the livelihood of the group.
Their substantial contribution to the diet played a major part in the social power dynamics, making them critical to the economy and social structure of these communities. Moreover, the participation of women in subsistence activities such as gathering suggests a degree of gender flexibility and equality not encapsulated by the 'man the hunter' hypothesis.