 In her writings, Workman described herself as "questioning or violating the norms of Victorian female propriety".She demonstrated that women were strong enough to thrive outside the home by showing how easy it was for her to endure strenuous physical activities like bicycling long distances in hot, humid places or mountaineering in cold temperatures and high altitudes.Workman challenged a masculine realm; her obituary in the "Alpine Journal" alluded to the challenges she faced, saying that she "felt that she suffered from 'sex antagonism'".