St. Ambrose (c.339-397).

FROM ON WIDOWS (DE VIDUIS: c. 378)
Tr. H. De Romestin, The Principal Works of St. Ambrose, Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, x (Oxford: Parker &Co; New York: Christian Literature Co., 1896), 398-9

(VIII) She showed not only that widows have no need of the help of a man, but that they can be reinforcements for men. Without being at all restrained by the weakness of her sex, she undertook to perform the duties of a man and did even more than she had undertaken. And at last, when the Jews were being ruled under the leadership of the judges, because these could not govern them with manly justice or defend them with manly strength, so that wars broke out on all sides, they chose Deborah, to be ruled by her judgement. And so one widow both ruled many thousands of men in peace and defended them from the enemy. There were many judges in Israel, but no woman before was a judge; just as, after Joshua, there were many judges but none of them was a prophet. And I think that her career as judge has been narrated, and her deeds described, so that women should not be restrained from valorous actions by the weakness of their sex. A widow, she governed the people; a widow, she led armies; a widow, she chose generals; a widow, she made military decisions and had charge of triumphs. Evidently it is not nature which is answerable for the fault or subject to weakness. It is not sex, but valour which gives strength.