As in Jewish law, when a parent dies the eldest son receives a double share of the inheritance. The Middle East, AD600s: Islam is founded in Arabia and allows women the right to inherit estates, own property and initiate divorce. She is widely credited with influencing him to expand property and divorce rights for women. Justinian’s wife, the Empress Theodora, a former actress and wool-spinner, left her jobs when the emperor courted her. If a woman cheats on her husband, he can divorce her and “ keep the pre-nuptial gift, the dowry and one third of any other property she possessed”. Some working women, including prostitutes and tavern-workers, do not have the right to marry Roman citizens and can only be kept by Roman men as concubines. Photograph: Mary Evans Picture Library/Ala/Alamy Photograph: Mary Evans Picture Library / Ala/Alamyīyzantine Empire, AD565: The Justinian laws – named for the emperor, known as “the last Roman”, who created a template for modern western civil law – allow women to be married without a dowry. The Visigoth conquest of Rome catalysed stark changes to women’s rights across the tottering empire. Divorce is easy to get – presaging the Christian opposition to splitting up marriages – but the husband has the legal right to keep the children. Women can, however, trade and engage in industry, such as tavern-keeping, although work in the classical watering hole is reserved for the lower classes.Īncient Rome: The pendulum swings back as freeborn Roman women are allowed to divorce, own property and inherit. Women are not allowed to inherit property or take a case to court unless a male guardian is in charge. Divorce is not allowed and inheritance laws favor male family members.Īncient Greece: Women’s financial rights are constrained compared to earlier societies. The Book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, lays down an early law of personal finance: “If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.” Sons who inherit are expected to use the estate to support the women in the family.Īncient Hinduism, 1500BC and after: Women have the right to control stridhan, or property before marriage, which includes gifts from parents, friends and strangers as well as earnings from her own work. Wives can’t inherit directly from their husbands – unless it is a gift or they have no children – but daughters can inherit if they don’t have brothers. Biblical era, 1800BC and after): Under Jewish law, women have the right to own property and sue others in court without a man representing them.

Leave Us Alone 1975