Women in Ancient Egpyt

3912 Words16 Pages
Discuss the role of women in Egyptian or near Eastern Society Although ancient Egypt was, as all ancient civilisations were, a male dominated society, the role of an Egyptian woman within that society, varied greatly to her to her contemporary counterparts, such as Greece or Rome. Egyptian women had far more freedom, far more rights, and could wield far more power, and were, for the most part considered equal to their menfolk, especially in the eyes of the law. This made their role within their society a lot more complex compared to other great societies, yet strangely also made it simpler. Egyptian women shared parity with men on most things. While the two main responsibilities for women remained maintaining the household and childbearing, they were also able to have the same legal and economic rights and social positions, were able to represent themselves at law, own their own property, make their own decisions and have more superior jobs than women of other ancient civilizations. Ancient Egypt, for the most part, did not categorize their society into that of men having more prestige or power than women, but instead built a society in which status in the community, (birth right, money, job or position etc.), and the way in which you performed your particular role in the community, would give a better assessment of one’s self worth. There is little evidence to prove a woman’s role and rights in ancient Egypt. Many of the artefacts left behind by ancient Egyptians depict very little about the roles women played in society and everyday life. In the artworks discovered, women are predominantly depicted in supporting roles to men, and also show women as having a role as housekeeper, mother and wife, without giving sufficient written information on how these roles were viewed in society; were they greatly respected for their contributions, or were they simply
Open Document