Women in Ancient Egypt

            Throughout history, the roles of women and men have always differed to some degree. Gender roles vary in different countries all around the world from economic status, labor, marriage, inheritance and education. In ancient Egypt women were given the highest status than any other ancient civilization. They were able to enjoy the same legal and economic rights as men according to Egyptian art. The rights for people were not based on gender but on social class.        .
             Ancient Egyptian women were given the same economic equal rights as men, which included being able to own and sell property, and if any property was bought during the time it would become joint property. They were able sign contracts and make any legal settlements including divorce, marriage or property without requiring a male representative. There was a range of jobs available to Egyptians but jobs were chosen based on their social class. Women in the lower classes usually worked from home. They would do household chores, care for children, do the grocery shopping as well as tending livestock and during harvest working in the fields. Some of the occupations for skilled women was weavers, mourners, musicians, stewards, composers, singers, dancers, beer brewers, and bakers. Now women with higher education had the ability to obtain professional positions such as priestesses, administrators, or supervisors and those who were educated and wealthy usually became judges, overseers, governors, doctors, and even prime ministers. These jobs were available to the upper class because they had the opportunity to receive education and knew how to read and write. During this time women were paid just as equally as men were which doubled the value to the family's wealth. In the Metropolitan Museum of Art a whole room displaying wall paintings showed painted scenes of their life. In these paintings you saw women with musical instruments in their hands, women weaving baskets, dancing, doing house chores, walking with their daughter and portrayed equal to their husband by the stance.