Women's Role In Hindu Religion

The Ancient text of Manusmriti is often used in order to showcase the subordination of women within the Hindu religion. For example this text states, “Her father protects her in childhood, her husband protects her in youth and her sons protect her in old age; a woman is never fit for independence” (Halder & Iaishankar, 2008, p. 663). This illustrates how within the ancient texts that Hinduism is based upon, women are seen as inferior to the male. Also, this shows how women were oppressed because there were not seen to be able to be on their own and independent. Hadler and Iaishankar goes further to state, “A [Hindu] woman was considered less than fully human, an object to be preserved by her male guardians” (669). Women were seen as being unfit to exist independently from men within the Hindu

The first role that women have is being the hindu daughter. This role is not one that is wanted by many because a son is much more valued within this culture than having a daughter. “According to the Hindu tradition, a person’s smooth passage to the next world depends on the meticulous performance of the last rite, and this rite can be performed only by male descendants” (Mitra, 1983, p. 594). This explains why Hindu people put worth into sons, because they are able to pass on into the next world whereas daughters are unable. Daughters are seen as a liability and it is often said that a daughter’s life is not considered worth saving if she will cost money (Mirta, 1983, p. 595). This further illustrates the emphasis that is put on giving birth to sons rather than daughters. The second role that the women enters is being the Hindu wife. Marriage is seen as the most important event for a Hindu woman within her lifetime. In Hindu society, the father being a guardian to his daughter is only temporary and through marriage the Hindu women is able to gain