There were Soldaderas on both sides of the war. In order to avoid desertions, the government allowed the wives and girlfriends of soldiers to travel with them. The women cooked and washed for the soldiers, and kept them company at camp.
In the rebel armies, some women were actually recruited to fight, but in most instances the women just followed their loved ones. When the soldiers made camp, the women always found ways to procure food from nearby villages and cooked for their husbands, although, this was not the case in Zapata’s army. Zapata had good relationships with the peasants in the region, who would provide food and water for his fighters.
