STATUS OF WOMEN IN ANCIENT EGYPT AND VEDIC INDIA: DEPENDENT OR INDEPENDENT OF GENDER NORMS

Abstract

Gender equality in ancient civilisation has been a debatable subject throughout the world. The cen- tral question that arises is whether the gender inequity in ancient civilisations was influenced by the social norms of patriarchy that impacted women’s rights to bodily integrity, decision-making and independence or it should be attributed to other factors such economic and political. The paper makes an attempt to examine the literature available on ancient Egyptian and Vedic women to iden- tify their status in their respective societies through the agencies available to the women.