Answer:
that they are not fragile
Step-by-step explanation:
From Alice Walker's Women, she describes the women from her mother's generation as being "husky" and "stout" and talked about how they battered doors down and led armies, ironed starched white shirts, etc.
The author is trying to convey that the women are not fragile because they were able to do things that would be regarded as unconventional for women.