How do the experiences of the women in Candide differ from those of the men?
How do their reactions to those experiences differ from those of the men?
What does the emphasis on the Old Woman’s and Cunegonde’s horrors accomplish?

Candide portrays the suffering of a great many of  its characters, however, the female characters in the novel are by far the worst off.

Explanation:

The female characters face harsher realities due to the inherent discrimination in the story.

Often, they are used as  symbols of desires and lust. Men fight over women and lots of violence instigated is misogynistic.

The women do not believe, unlike the men, that all things must end for the good. The women in the book it seems understand the folly in this statement because of their plight.

Cunegonde's possession by a series of men who are hostile to her and Old woman held hostage by Moroccan pirates suffer incessantly in the book and this reveals the central allegory of the book: that all things are not meant for well.