Upon review of what period or group of women to research I find myself drawn to ancient cultures. I would imagine the roles of women to be vastly different from the roles of women in modern culture. Surprisingly through my research I found that from ancient times to now the roles of women somewhere along the line made a regression.
Women today are still fighting for equal pay and rights in modern society. In Ancient Egypt how were the women treated? Could they own land? Hold jobs in the government? What was life like for them. Women in ancient Egypt were the equals of men in every area except occupations. Historians Bob Brier and Hoyt Hobbs note how women were equal to men in almost every area except for jobs: "Men fought, ran the government, …show more content…
What her de jure [rightful entitlement] rights were depended upon her social class not her sex. All landed property descended in the female line, from mother to daughter, on the assumption, perhaps, that maternity is a matter of fact, paternity a matter of opinion. A woman was entitled to administer her own property and dispose of it as she wished. She could buy, sell, be a partner in legal contracts, be executor in wills and witness to legal documents, bring an action at court, and adopt children in her own name. An ancient Egyptian woman was legally capax [competent, capable]. In contrast, an ancient Greek woman was supervised by a kyrios [male guardian] and many Greek women who lived in Egypt during the Ptolemaic Period, observing Egyptian women acting without kyrioi, were encouraged to do so themselves. In short, an ancient Egyptian woman enjoyed greater social standing than many women of other societies, both ancient and modern.”
In Ancient Egypt the society had for the most part quality among men and women and so did the gods. There were gods both male and female who all had equally important roles and expertise. Women could marry who they wanted and divorce those who no longer suited them, could hold what jobs they liked - within limits - and travel at their whim. The earliest creation myths of the culture all emphasize, to greater or lesser degrees, the value …show more content…
There were many "God's Wives" associated with different deities, and initially, in the Middle Kingdom, the God's Wife of Amun was simply one among many. The God's Wife was an honorary title given to a woman (originally of any class but later of the upper class) who would assist the high priest in ceremonies and tend to the god's statue. Throughout Kingdom of Egypt the position increased in prestige until, by the time of 1069-525 BCE, the God's Wife of Amun was equal in power to a king and effectively ruled Upper Egypt. The most famous of the God's Wives was the female pharaoh Hatshepsut (Mark, 2016). Nefertiti was another Egyptian ruler. She married Amenhotep IV, who preached and supported monotheism, or the belief in only one god. Cleopatra became the most famous of Egypt's female leaders. She was extremely intelligent, and ambitious and spoke several languages, she even studied astronomy. At 18, she became queen of Egypt.
Women today are still fighting for equal pay and rights in modern society. In Ancient Egypt how were the women treated? Could they own land? Hold jobs in the government? What was life like for them. Women in ancient Egypt were the equals of men in every area except occupations. Historians Bob Brier and Hoyt Hobbs note how women were equal to men in almost every area except for jobs: "Men fought, ran the government, …show more content…
What her de jure [rightful entitlement] rights were depended upon her social class not her sex. All landed property descended in the female line, from mother to daughter, on the assumption, perhaps, that maternity is a matter of fact, paternity a matter of opinion. A woman was entitled to administer her own property and dispose of it as she wished. She could buy, sell, be a partner in legal contracts, be executor in wills and witness to legal documents, bring an action at court, and adopt children in her own name. An ancient Egyptian woman was legally capax [competent, capable]. In contrast, an ancient Greek woman was supervised by a kyrios [male guardian] and many Greek women who lived in Egypt during the Ptolemaic Period, observing Egyptian women acting without kyrioi, were encouraged to do so themselves. In short, an ancient Egyptian woman enjoyed greater social standing than many women of other societies, both ancient and modern.”
In Ancient Egypt the society had for the most part quality among men and women and so did the gods. There were gods both male and female who all had equally important roles and expertise. Women could marry who they wanted and divorce those who no longer suited them, could hold what jobs they liked - within limits - and travel at their whim. The earliest creation myths of the culture all emphasize, to greater or lesser degrees, the value …show more content…
There were many "God's Wives" associated with different deities, and initially, in the Middle Kingdom, the God's Wife of Amun was simply one among many. The God's Wife was an honorary title given to a woman (originally of any class but later of the upper class) who would assist the high priest in ceremonies and tend to the god's statue. Throughout Kingdom of Egypt the position increased in prestige until, by the time of 1069-525 BCE, the God's Wife of Amun was equal in power to a king and effectively ruled Upper Egypt. The most famous of the God's Wives was the female pharaoh Hatshepsut (Mark, 2016). Nefertiti was another Egyptian ruler. She married Amenhotep IV, who preached and supported monotheism, or the belief in only one god. Cleopatra became the most famous of Egypt's female leaders. She was extremely intelligent, and ambitious and spoke several languages, she even studied astronomy. At 18, she became queen of Egypt.