In ancient Egypt, if a man asked a woman to marry
him, she could say no.
Women were not equal with men, but they had
considerably more rights than did women in other ancient civilizations.
One of their
rights was the right to decide if they wished to marry or not. 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.
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. If they broke the
law, they had go to court and defend themselves from the charge, just
like everyone else.
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, along with
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.
