Women in ancient Mesopotamia were given some rights, such as the right to terminate an abusive relationship and the right to have her dowry back if her husband chose to divorce her. In ancient Mesopotamia these were extremely important; a women without a dowry had no chance of being married and a women in an abusive relationship would not lead to a prosperous life and family. Mesopotamians realized women were important, but they also weren’t willing to declare them as “equals,” as wives were not allowed to divorce husbands without claims of abuse but husbands could divorce wives without a cause. In actuality it was more that the family unit and its reputation were important in Mesopotamian society, not the women themselves. The family was an
