Role of Women in Ancient Egypt

Thesis: Women in Ancient Egypt had numerous amounts of roles during Ancient History. What was the Role of a Woman in Ancient Egypt? I. Legal Rights of an Egyptian Woman A. Equal with men 1. Right to possess property and dispose of it 2. Often added threats and curses against people who tried to violate their rights B. Divorce 1. A letter describing how a man announced his intention to divorce his wife. 2. Women kept their own property C. Property 1. Sell, Buy Own. 2. Leave it to whomever she wanted. D.Legal Rights in Open Court 1. Right to bring lawsuits against anyone 2. Won legal cases without gender-bias II. Jobs A. Female Rulers 1. Ahhotep a. Wife of Segnenre-Taa and mother of Kamose and Ahmose b. Presented with the Order of Valor and venerated as the mother of the heroes 2. Ahmose-Nefertari a. Sister and wife of King Ahmose the First b. Presented with patron deities of the villages 3. Queen Tiye a. Wife of Amenhotep the Third and mother of Akhenaten b. Became Royal Wife favored by the King . Nefertiti a. Wife of Akhenaten b. Supported her husband and all his reforms, gave him 6 daughters 5. Nefertari a. Wife of Ramesses the Second b. Had the most beautiful tomb in the Valley of the Queens B. Enslavement 1. Hired themselves 2. Served for royalty C. Medicine III. Role of Women A. Child Care B. Senior Women in Charge if Household shopping C. Servants IV. Marriage A. Right to decide official Marriage B. Becoming Pregnant gained respect C. First duty was to be a good wife and mother