The Status Of Women In Ancient Egypt: 2100 BCE To 30 BCE

I. Introduction
The status of women has varied during different historical eras where it reformed and developed as culture and time progressed. Some cultures maintained a highly matriarchal society, while others were chiefly patriarchal. Accordingly, the responsibilities of the ancient Egyptian woman and her ability to lead varied through history. From first and second Intermediate Periods, the New Kingdom, and certainly during the Ptolemaic Period, Egyptians had a unique view of women. The time period in which this essay will explore the Egyptian society falls from 2100 BCE to 30 BCE. Men and women were to take different roles according to their capabilities in an effort to be more efficient. The purpose of the society was to prosper, thus
Topic Sentence: Women in Ancient Egypt had equal legal rights as males where they were able to own property, take part in inheritance and had the right to divorce their husbands.
b. Argument: By law, women had same power as men.
i. All Egyptian women had rights in owning and managing properties and is protected by the Egyptian law. ii. A married woman has the right to manage her properties without the interference of her husband. iii. She had the opportunity to own slaves, stand in court and take part in official contracts. iv. Can live by herself without the protection of a male guardian.
v. Besides the usual domestic lifestyle women may live by, a woman can pursue other careers in the society such as: priestess in a temple, a mourner, a dancers and musician. vi. Women dominated the textile industry. Women worked both as the weavers and supervisors. vii. Women were not allowed to do the heavy labor jobs not because of the thought that woman were not strong enough, but because out of respect for woman and the acknowledgement of the male stronger body. viii. Like men, Women in ancient Egypt were able to receive prestigious titles such as: “’Superintendent of the Dining Hall,, 'Overseer of the Wig Shop,', 'Overseer of Amusements', 'Mistress of the Royal Harem' and 'Overseer of the House of
There were female goddesses in Ancient Egypt. ii. Woman were able to hold very significant positions such as the God's Wife of Amun. iii. The religion practiced in Ancient Egypt has honored the feminine persona. iv. Women took part in the temple and religious events.
III. Body 3
a. Topic Sentence: The majority of women in ancient Egypt did not have access to education and therefore it might be one of the reasons why not many women had strong bureaucratic positions. Nevertheless, women had access to other fields such as the arts and crafts explaining how there was a division in occupations but not to limit any of the genders.
b. Argument: Women in Ancient Egypt have specialized in different occupations then men in most cases and it was mostly about making sure that it was more about efficiency and less about the power of genders.
i. The majority of women were responsible for the were engaged in domestic work. ii. “Upper-class woman was titled as: 'Mistress of the House'” iii. Walls in tombs depict daily women activities that helped support her families such as: “preparing food, brewing beer, baking bread, cleaning the house, growing fruit and vegetables and going to market for fresh food for their