Feminism and World Religions

Title: Feminism and World Religions 

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Introduction

The society is predominantly patrichial in that most of the social issues are controlled by men while the women are left to perform duties that are perceived to be feminine and for appropriate for their gender. Social inequality is so prevent in all the social institutions which include in the economic, cultural, political and even in the religious sectors. The following discussion will focus on the feminism movement in a view to look at their contribution to the issues of gender inequality.

Discussion

Feminism is a movement that was started with am aim of fighting for the rights of the women. From history, it has been said that the society has a way of constructing ways of deciding who performs which roles and the rewards for that. This only helps in creating social status whereby some groups of people are considered superior and others weak.

Many religious functions are observed to be performed by men and as if that is not enough, in certain religious affiliations, women and children are treated equally and they are expected to remain silence in matters of religion. This is a kind of inequality that is being addressed in the book by Arvind Sharma

In the book review by Sharma (1999), religion has been thought as the only way by which the gender equality will be attained. However, she begins by posing a question that, ‘if by circumcision one becomes a Muslim man, then how does one identify a Muslim woman?’ these are social issues for identity but which lean so much on the male gender while discriminating against the women.

The writer of the book is a religious scholar who has employed a number of perspectives to support his assertions. Some of these approaches include the Marxism, Romantism, and modern psychoanalysis. For instance, in the Marxism approach, it is said that the society is stratified into distinctive classes with the dominant group being superior. The culture of the powerful class dictates the policies that are to be formulated in all the social institutions.

In trying to apply that approach to explain the plight of women in the society, Arvind Sharm(1999), explains that men tend to be socially, economically and culturally dominant over women. In trying to maintain their status, the men will want to demand for submission from women by ensuring that they remain in the low class. However, Karl Marx provided an option for this by stating that the only way the oppressed can liberate themselves is by revolution or demonstrations through movements.

It has also been observed that women on the other hand have a way of creating classes amongst themselves. A study conducted in India indicates that Hindu women have structural differences in their religious affiliations especially in areas of Kerale and Timilnadu. For instance, those that come from these two areas are superior to those that come from other areas. It can therefore be observed that religion has not yet succeeded in creating equality even amongst the women.

Through the rise of the feminist groups however, the wome4n have empowered themselves and gained confidence and it can be observed from these lines in a poem written by Jonabai, ‘let me not be sad because I was born a woman, in this world many saints suffer this way,” (Sharma 1999). This indicates that there has been a great stride that the religion has played in alleviating the position of a woman in the society.

Conclusion

The religious institution should offer a good example to the other social structures by ensuring that both ganders are accorded the same privileges and rights. Women on the other hand should not remain silent to be perpetual oppression but should rise up and let the world no that there is no superior gender.

Reference

Methodology in Religious Studies (2003) the Interface with Women’s Studies (State University of New York Press ISBN 978-0791453476

Arvind Sharma &Katherine K. Young (1999). Feminism and World Religion state University of New York Press