Wives were considered "property" rather than "persons" in most of the "civilized" western world until just a few centuries ago.
The purpose of marriage in the part of the world that the Israelites/Canaanites came from was all about property rights. The only wealth at the time was land and farm animals. Only men were allowed to possess these things. A man needed a male heir to leave these things to. Women had no inheritance. Women depended on their first born male child to provide for them once their husband died.
This is also why the practice of polygamy ended. If a man was in a relationship with multiple women, each women having a male child with the same man would argue over who the rightful heir was. The practice of choosing one woman to produce a male heir was created.
This is why the Israelites had the practice of a man marrying his sister-in-law if a male heir had not been produced by his brother and brother's wife. Once the man died the son produced with his sister-in-law would inherit the woman's first husband's property and then take care of the widow.
It wasn't until the 17th century Romance Movement that people started marrying for love. Prior to that marriage was a business arrangement for families to acquire land and expand power. That is not to say that married people didn't love one another or marrying for love didn't happen prior to the 17th century.
So, yes, there was no certificate for divorce for women in the days of Moses as women were treated like second class citizens. Much hasn't changed in that part of the world. The Judeo-Christian belief system still propagates these ideas. Christians can talk all they want about how the Bible orders men to love their wives. Out of the other side of their mouths they preach women should be subjective to men and be silent.
