Women's Roles In Ancient Egypt

One civilization where women were allowed and encouraged to follow their dreams and work outside of home and become pharaohs was Ancient Egypt. In ancient Egypt, gender was based on social dignity instead of social status. Women were highly educated and regarded for their specialization. Therefore, women of all the classes had the privilege of fulfilling their dreams, study, and be progressive in their work. From the age of four, they were trained in instructive establishments, where they were taught science, geometry, and the essentials of hieroglyphic. Eventually, they would gain a certificate, the title of ink put holder, and would be authorized to practice in any of the branches of knowledge. Furthermore, there were various types of occupations
One of the most well-known female doctors in Ancient Egypt was Merit Ptah who was known as the ‘Chief Physician’. She had lived around 2700 BCE during the reign of the 2nd and 3rd dynasties and was the first female physician in the history. She was also the first high class woman to be mentioned in the study of science. The society of Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt had different expectations regarding marriages even though both the societies had portrayed marriage as a contract between a man and a woman. Both Egyptian men and women respected the concept of marriage, enjoyed and respected each other’s company through love and affection. Both the men and women could decide whom they would marry and usually, it was the fathers who would arrange the pre-nuptial contracts between the future spouses. After the wedding, both man and woman signed pre-nuptial contracts which outlined the specific inheritance for both husband and wife. One of the most significant differences that Egyptian marriages had against other societies was that no dowry was ever proposed from the bride’s father, unlike the Ancient
Instead of men being the head of the family, wives were trusted by their husband with the household matters. People who could afford to live luxuriously, had slaves and servants to do the household work but even then, the “mistress of the house” would be expected to administer everything. There was no stigma attached to divorce even though a life-long marriage was always regarded as preferable. In Ancient Egyptian civilization, a woman could divorce her husband, issue a lawsuit to get back the assets of the home and remarry. After divorce, the children usually went with the mother. According to the social classes in the society, women had enjoyed equal rights to that of men unlike the Mesopotamian women or any other civilization during the same period through legal and economic rights. In contrast to societies in other civilizations, women in Ancient Egypt had a modern higher status and much more freedom than the women in the Ancient Mesopotamian civilization. Women were thought of as legally capable of being able to live their life, control and take care of every aspect of their lives, without supervision of a man to pursue any action. During Egyptian civilization, women were qualified to sue and could obtain contracts including any lawful settlements such as marriage, separation, property and jobs. Moreover, they were not submissive to