Gonzales and Daughter Trucking Co.

Maria Amparo Escandon writes of the fictional Mexican-American character, Libertad Gonzales in the novel Gonzales and Daughter Trucking Co. describing her struggle for independence from her dad and the two cultures. Libertad created a weekly book club, at the jail she was in, where once a week she would read her inmates a story, but these stories weren't from the text, it was a re-telling of Libertad's life. Escandon describes how in the Mexican culture the girls are suppose to follow thier dad and never disobey him which is what Libertad has done all her life until she found a man whom she fell in love with and decided to rebel against her dad's wishes of not being near that young man. As the story continues to unravel itself Escandon demonstrates the importance of independence to one as they reach their level of maturity and how secrets and fears will eventually leak out and all can do is just deal with the situation at hand and go on in life.
This to me is one of my favorite texts that I have come across because of the whole mystery it gave and just all the drama an the connection these girls got with one another just through story-telling. Everything is just good about the book and I guess especially since I could relate to it as a Mexican girl as well.

Question: Why is it that in almost every culutre women are always protected and seen as little helpless infants?