Women in Ancient Egypt

The Status of Women in Ancient Egypt

In ancient Egypt, like in other societies, the family was the nucleus of the community. Family ties were the strongest social bonds in ancient Egypt, and marital relationships were robust and enduring.

Marriage and Family Bonds

Egyptian history lacks evidence of oppressing women's rights or undermining their significance. Egyptians were keen on the happiness of their wives and treated them with kindness. The famous sage Ptahhotep outlined some marital duties, emphasizing love, providing food and clothing, and offering perfumes to please wives.

Marital Relationships

The relationship between husbands and wives was based on pure affection and mutual love. While men naturally held authority over women to safeguard their dignity, ancient Egyptian women enjoyed many rights and extensive freedoms, possibly surpassing those of women in some modern societies.

Women's Rights

Ancient Egyptian women engaged in various activities such as trading, attending festivities, and pursuing music and singing. They enjoyed rights in inheritance, testimony, ownership, and contracting. In most eras of ancient Egypt, there was no fundamental distinction between men and wives. In fact, the throne in ancient Egypt sometimes passed through women, and Egyptian women could ascend to the throne themselves, as seen in the reigns of queens like Nitocris, Sobekneferu, Hatshepsut, and Tausert.

*Conclusion*

Thus, women in ancient Egypt achieved a level of progress unmatched by their counterparts in the ancient Near East, occupying a high status in Egyptian society.