World History: the Life of Women in Ancient Egypt

As opposed to many other ancient cultures, women in Egypt actually enjoyed a life rather similar to women today. Where as men were considered the head of household, women were allowed to own land, run businesses and even initiate divorce and marriages. Women were in charge of domestic duties which included running the house.

Many women owned and operated their own business, and if their husband ran a business were often left in charge to make decisions while their husbands were away. Other common employments of women were musicians, weaving and professional mourners. Because society was still sexually segregated in some respects, women hired women and men hired men. Although young boys did receive a formal education, young girls were often taught in the home by their mothers to read and write.

As opposed to being viewed as a possession as women have been historically throughout the world, Egyptians legally in theory placed women equal to men in the same class system. If a women choose not to marry, she was able to own her house without a man to watch over her. If mistreated women could divorce, would gain sole custody and had the option of remarrying. Women were not hidden from festivities or prevented from partaking. They ate, drank and got sick as often as men did.

Important to Egyptian culture was hygiene. Because of the hot weather, Egyptian men and women usually bathed daily in the Nile River. They thought of outsiders as dirty and make up was worn throughout the culture from childhood to adulthood, men and women. Kohl, dark make up was worn under their eyes to absorb sunlight much like we use sunglasses today.

Men and women would shave their heads if they were wealthy and use wigs on human hair, or wash their hair daily and massage in rich perfumes. Both genders removed all body hair by shaving or plucking to prevent lice and maintain a pleasing aesthetic.

Young and old wore jewelry for style but also to ward off bad omens. Women would normally wear short skirts. During menstruation she would use pieces of linen to absorb blood. Culturally, a women was thought unclean during this time and men would avoid her.