Egyptian Women Ancient and Modern, Was it Culture or Religion That Reduced Their Place in Society?

Feb. 15, 2011 - PRLog -- Many of us who studied Egyptology admired the place of women in ancient Egypt. An exception to most other ancient societies, Egyptian women achieved parity with Egyptian men. They enjoyed the same legal and economic rights, at least in theory, and this concept can be found in Egyptian art and contemporary manuscripts. The disparities between people's legal rights were based on differences in social class and not on gender. Legal and economic rights were afforded to both men and women.

Egypt is predominately a muslin country. Therefore we must take into consideration; the study of women in Islam investigates the role of women within the religion of Islam. The complex relationship between women and Islam is defined by both Islamic texts and the history and culture of the Muslin world. While men and women have different roles within Islam, many argue that the Koran makes it clear that they are equal.

Women make up 49 % of the student population but still are seeking improvements in their education. While in western countries, women outnumber men in University enrolment.
The expected new regime should learn from progressive countries the lesson about making full uses of all resources available. Egypt must go further than declaring some seats in their Parliament reserved for women. In Egypt women could be one of the most underutilized resources. If Egypt would like to become a more progressive country distributing wealth to all its citizens, then they must give women more opportunities to be better educated.  But it does not stop there. An employment equity plan should be established to ensure that jobs are given to women in government and industry. These steps would result in women taking their place in the country as it was or better in ancient Egypt.


It is interesting that when the Greeks conquered Egypt in 332 B.C.E., Egyptian women were allowed more rights and privileges than Greek women, who were forced to live under the less equal Greek system.
In ancient Egypt, women were not equal with men, but they had many rights, considerably more rights than did women in other ancient civilizations.
Egypt treated its women better than any of the other major civilizations of the ancient world.  The Egyptians believed that joy and happiness were legitimate goals of life and regarded home and family as the major source of delight.
It was taken for granted in the ancient world that the head of the house was the man. The true meaning of this fact for women varied considerably from one place and time to another and the impact was much greater if the law drew a distinction between a man and a woman.  Marriage and offspring were always considered desirable, but in some societies wives were simply domestic servants and offspring acquired importance only when they grew up.  Undoubtedly there were a number of very strong willed women who disregarded custom and ruled their families with the sheer force of their personalities, but they were the exception.
Ancient Egyptian women were fortunate in two important ways:
1. While women could become Pharaoh only in very special circumstances, they were otherwise regarded as totally equal to men as far as the law was concerned. They could own property, borrow money, sign contracts, initiate divorce, appear in court as a witness, etc. Of course, they were also equally subject to whatever responsibilities normally accompanied those rights.
2. Love and emotional support were considered to be important parts of marriage. Egyptians loved children as people and not just as potential workers and care-takers.
Marriage: One of their rights was the right to decide if they wished to marry or not. If a man asked a woman to marry him, she could say no. A woman in ancient Egypt could not be forced into marriage. Those who did marry usually married quite young, around age 12-14.  
Once married, a woman's first duty was to be a good wife and mother. Children were very important to the ancient Egyptians.
Finances: Along with raising the children and running the household, women were free to get a paid job outside the home if they wanted one. They could run a business. They could own, buy, and sell property. They could make a will and leave their personal goods to whomever they chose, including their daughters.  
Court: If any woman broke the law, she had gone to court and defends herself from the charge, just like everyone else.  
Divorce: One of the biggest rights a woman had was the right of divorce. If a woman was unhappy with her marriage, she could get a divorce, and then remarry someone else or remain single.  
To be granted a divorce, a woman needed to present a good reason in a court of law.
If her divorce was granted, she gained custody of the children, plus all of her original dowry if one was brought to the marriage - or its equivalent worth - plus one-third of her husband's wealth. This was done so that she could raise her children comfortably. She also took with her any property she personally owned, including property that had been willed to her during her marriage.  
Men could also get a divorce, but, if granted, women still gained custody of her children, her original dowry, and a big chunk of his wealth.
During the 2011 uprising in Egypt, we heard from the women in Egypt who participated in the street protests and it is apparent that they have fallen from the status they had in ancient \Egypt. What was the cause of this, culture or religion?
First of all, it is said that when compared to other Arab countries, Egyptian women were better positioned. But Egypt women do not want to be compared to other Arab countries, why not compare them with western countries? Egyptian women want the same opportunities of the women of the west.
Too many young Egyptian women make al living by prostitution on the street. Others are forced into marriage to wealthy Arab men from other Arab countries.  There is also human trafficking of Egyptian women.
A mutilation of their genitals is another challenge facing modern Egyptian women. This act could become very painful in later life.  Surprisingly, this is not a Muslin practice but more from Africa. Egypt is a predominately Muslin country so this practice could be derived from culture.
Egyptian women are fighting for the right to control the number of children they are having. The government has promoted family planning and have seen a reduction in the birth rates but there is still room for improvement

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