Women are regarded as second-class citizens as they must submit to the authority of men ("Next male of kin" ). Men are also the only ones eligible to hold political office. Women are not allowed to have titles or deeds to property in their name and cannot have a career unless said career is specifically assigned to them by the Gilead leadership. In particular, Gilead is a patriarchal society, where only men have access to higher education. The name Gilead itself is taken from the Bible, referring to several different locations and generally translated as "hill of testimony." Much of this legislation is influenced and justified by a rigid, made-up interpretation of scripture. citizen being assigned to a particular class and expected (and/or forced) to fulfill certain roles (see Society and Class System).
Constitution have been replaced by a system of duties and privileges implemented in a hierarchy of social classes, with every former U.S. Individual civil liberties enumerated in the now-suspended U.S. Gilead borders Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. Head of the nation of Gilead is the President of the National Committee of Gilead but hasn't been seen. On a regional level, Gilead is governed by " Councils" as boards of local Commanders. Political maps of Gilead reveal that Gilead abolished America's federal system of government and states, and has become a unitary republic with a centralized government and the former states re-organized intro larger "districts". Unlike the United States of America, Gilead is not a democratic republic but rather an oligarchic one ruled by the Committee. They rule from Washington, D.C., which is the capital of Gilead and the former United States of America, the remnants of which Gilead has been engaged in an ongoing civil war with over territory and population (particularly women). The storyline hasn't detailed how Gilead's government and state function precisely, however a theocratic, inner party of men, more appropriately termed a junta called " Committee" appears to be in charge. Society and Politics Administrative Structure