Ideas and Issues

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Ideas and Issues

1. The samples of laws derived from the Code of Hammurabi assert certain limits to human equality. A clear illustration of these limits involves the restrictions imposed on a woman’s right to be free (Roffer 56). In code 141, the regulation states that a woman shall continue working as a slave in her husband’s household even if he decides to adopt another woman in the event of an unaccepted divorce. The specific law depicts women as the property of men. In fact, it argues that a woman, as long as she is married, belongs to her husband. As such, while the woman may have a say in issues that pertain to divorce or separation, it is the man’s sole decision that determines whether the woman will be free from marital commitment. The right to equality among people is another limitation as evidenced in code 198, whereby the law discriminates against commoners by ruling out fairness in terms of compensation (Roffer 121).
2. Women have always been viewed as lesser human beings in comparison to men. Apart from the Hammurabi Code, past as well as contemporary institutions have always placed women in a considerably lower position in the overall social, economic, and political hierarchy. Because of this and the overwhelming influence of the patriarchal order, women’s rights have always been neglected thereby leading to protests and movements such as feminism, which continually advocate for the equal treatment of women (Roffer 22). In contrast to the past, society has become more predisposed towards women’s rights. Despite this, lingering traditions and customs consistently impose a limiting implication on the advancements of women’s equality within the society. Furthermore, laws and regulations, which were formulated in archaic times, consistently impose a significant effect on the way women are treated from a legal perspective. Typecasts and stereotypes limit society from facilitating women’s movement towards total equality for all sexes.

Works Cited

Roffer, Michael H. The Law Book: From Hammurabi to the International Criminal Court, 250 Milestones in the History of Law. Sterling, 2015.