Definition Gender discrimination, or sex discrimination, may be characterized as the unequal treatment of a person based solely on that person's

sex. While females have historically laid claim to the cry of unequal treatment, modern civil rights laws banning sex discrimination have been construed to protect males as well, especially in the area of employment. Gender discrimination is any unequal treatment based on gender and may also be referred to as sexism. Characteristics of gender discrimination are any situation where a person shows a prejudice towards another that would not occur had they been the opposite sex. E.g. During the early years of this country, women were not entitled to the same rights and privileges as men. Women were not allowed to vote and were usually required to surrender control of their property to their husband upon marriage. Moreover, their educational and occupational opportunities were severely limited. It was commonly believed that a woman's place was in the home, raising children and tending to domestic affairs. Gender discrimination in India: Over the past century there has been much to rejoice about the positive development of women in India: increased visibility of women in the public sphere, closing of gender gaps in primary and secondary school enrolment, the presence of women in the labour force across international borders, and lower fertility rates. In addition, womens organizations have been able to raise issues such as sexual and reproductive health and rights, violence against women, and inequality of power in gender relations, and make these the pivotal issues of debate in national and global arenas. Discrimination against Women in India: According to the 2001 census, female literacy in India is 54.16 % against male literacy of 75.85 %. Most of the working women remain outside the organized sector: A mere 2.3 % women are administrators and managers, and 20.5 % professional and technical workers. There are an estimated 40 million Hindu widows in India, the least fortunate of them shunned and stripped of the life they lived when they were married. Its believed that 15,000 widows live on the streets of Vrindavan, a Hindu holy city of about 55,000 populations in northern India. Many widows at least 40per cent are said to be fewer than 50 are dumped by their relatives in religious towns and left to live off charity or beg on the streets. Their plight was highlighted in Deepa Mehtas award-winning film Water, which had to be shot mainly outside India because of Hindu extremist opposition to the production. Nearly 9 out of 10 pregnant women aged between 15 and 49 years suffer from malnutrition and about half of all children (47%) under-five suffer from underweight and 21 % of the populations are undernourished. India alone has more undernourished people (204 million) than all of sub-

Saharan Africa combined. Nearly 20 % of women dying in childbirth around the globe are Indians. Six out of every 10 births take place at home and untrained people attend more than half of them. 44 % of the Indian girls were married before they reached the age of 18. It added, 16 % of girls in the age group 15-19 years were already mothers or expecting their first child and that pregnancy is the leading cause of mortality in this age group. On an average one Indian woman commits suicide every four hours over a dowry dispute. During Indian marriage, women should bring jewellery, cash and even consumer durables as part of dowry to the in-laws. If they fail, the victims are burnt to death they are doused in kerosene and set fire to. Routinely the in-laws claim that the death happened simply due to an accident. Rape is the fastest growing crime in India. Every hour Indian women face two rapes, two kidnappings, four molestations and seven incidents of cruelty from husbands and relatives. Unwanted Daughters: At first sight, the title tends to put you off. It may be argued unwanted daughters is still a stark reality in modern India. The gender muddle continues to make a mockery of all expectations. One often wonders why as a nation we continue to agonies over the sex ratio imbalance, instead of just acting upon what has generally been a perceived reality for long. A collection of 10 articles by knowledgeable people among them sociologists, demographers, economists and gender specialists the book provides a multi-disciplinary perspective to the increasing gender bias in contemporary India and the combination of economic, social, and cultural factors underlying the discrimination against daughters. It is by no means a wake-up call, but reiterates how advances in reproductive technologies have ushered in a silent consolidation of malpractices, and that sex ratio is not just a demographic index but reflects society's attitude towards women. Now, couples are far more aware and willing to achieve the preferred family size and the desired sex composition of children. Sadly, education has hardly impacted traditional mindsets. Rather, technology and affluence have aggravated the problem as evidenced by the declining sex ratio from 955 in 1921 to 933 in 2001. More number of female foetuses get aborted and more number of baby-girls are victimized, in spite of the safeguards the Pre-conception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques Act and the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act are supposed to provide. The results of the 2001 Census of India focused on missing girls'. A decade later, with the headcount now in progress, the beam still tilts in favor of the perceived preference for sons. Or is it a deliberate discrimination against daughters?

Case studies from across the country have been used to highlight how Indian girls are caught
between passion and independence, individual rationality and public good. The observations are not out of sync. Combining conservatism with a dose of liberal chuckle makes the book readable. Editors T.V. Sekher and Neelambar Hatti have introduced a structural innovation in the book, which is otherwise permeated with perspectives that are palpably rural. It takes a compelling and insightful look at how sniggers-arousing policies have failed to impact the highly skewed sex ratio and the agenda to eradicate gender discrimination has been subsumed.

Application Sexism has historically been enacted most often to the detriment of females, but it can apply to males as well. Gender discrimination can also extend to transgender people. Gender discrimination can apply most commonly to workplace scenarios, but can also apply to educational rights, in household gender roles and in community and organization roles. Most frequently, it involves being denied an opportunity such as a promotion, position, scholarship, credit or a loan. It can also be used to describe receiving or failing to receive a punishment on the basis of gender. Weblography http://www.ehow.com/facts_5471346_gender-discrimination-definition.html Dated 06/07/11 http://law.jrank.org/pages/12485/Gender-Discrimination.html06/07/11 http://knowledge.insead.edu/gender-discrimination-in-india-101213.cfm06/07/11 http://www.citehr.com/12027-sexual-harassment-workplace-india.html06/07/11 http://www.inclusiveplanet.com/en/channelpost/64458606/07/11 http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/freud.html06/07/11 http://psychology.about.com/od/sigmundfreud/p/freud_women.htm06/07/11 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2009/06/24/religion-vs-gender-equality-feminism/06/07/11 http://www.bhagwanvalmiki.com/manu-smriti.htm06/07/11 http://indiafactbook.wordpress.com/discrimination-against-women/06/07/11 http://www.light-of-life.com/eng/reveal/06/07/11

http://sanatana-dharma.tripod.com/women_in_hinduism.htm06/0711 http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Women_in_Hinduism.htm06/07/11 http://www.jewfaq.org/women.htm06/07/11 Gender Discrimination at work place in India: Discrimination at work can come from either the employee of from the colleague side. Discrimination by colleagues can happen to new employees. They may face sarcastic stares or constant digs made at them by their colleagues during initial weeks. However, if it persists for a long time, it can affect not only the employee but also the employer. The effect on the employee can be huge or meager but the impact on organization remains for a longer time. An employee who is being discriminated witnesses non cooperation from peers and negative feedbacks form subordinates. Discrimination leads to psychological and emotional disturbance, resulting in demoralization and descend in performance standards. It brings down the overall performance, and fuels more discrimination, which in turn increases the number of gaps in one's work further. Discrimination at workplace also affects the society. The socio-economic inequalities get widened and social cohesion and solidarity are eroded. It results in wastage of human talent and resources. The main indicator which indicates that gender discrimination has occurred in the hiring process involves the qualifications of the job applicants. While a slight difference in qualifications between a female and a male candidate does not automatically indicate gender bias (if a lesser qualified male candidate is hired instead of a female candidate, that is), a drastic difference in qualifications has almost always been upheld by the courts as a sure sign of gender discrimination. Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Sexual harassment in the workplace is one of the most complicated areas of employment law. It is also one of the areas that has recently received the most press. Below is a basic guide to sexual harassment in the workplace. Please note that sexual harassment in the workplace often goes hand-in-hand with other illegal acts, like gender discrimination. If you have a problem with sexual harassment in the workplace, you should think about what else might be going on as well. Type of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Quid-Pro-Quo Harassment "Quid-pro-quo" is Latin for "this for that." It is a trade. When the trade is on the basis of sex, it is illegal. This is the when the employer makes sex a prerequisite to getting something in the workplace.

For example: sleep with me and you'll get the job." That's illegal. This type of sexual harassment in the workplace is the "casting couch" clich. Quid-pro-quo can also include negatives. For example, "sleep with me or you're fired" is also illegal. As more and more women are going out to work, they face an increasing risk of being subjected to some sort of sexual harassment. This article will shed some light on what exactly sexual harassment means and what recourses does a victim have? Sexual harassment at the workplace is not a new thing. Sixty per cent of working women have faced sexual harassment at some point of time in their working lives. For every woman who raises an outcry, there are hundreds of others who suffer in silence, quit their jobs or get transfers. For years, sexual harassment was considered an inescapable part of a working woman's life. Now awareness is slowly rising that no woman should meekly accept sexual harassment as part of her lot. Sexual harassment at the workplace, as an issue, captured the collective consciousness of working women, following the Shehnaz Mudbhatkal case. This gutsy woman worked as a hostess for Saudi Arabian airlines. Her services with Saudi Arabian airlines were terminated because she refused to surrender to the sexual demands made by her superior. But Shehnaz would not give in. Filing suit, she fought for 11 years. In 1997, she was awarded full wages and continuity of services with effect from 1985. Sadly, the airlines appealed to Bombay High Court, which granted a stay. However, this is not the only case of its kind. In 1994, Doordarshan (Hyderabad) producer Sailaja Suman took director P L Chawla to court on charges of defamation, criminal intimidation and trying to outrage her modesty. She filed two separate cases in the metropolitan magistrate's court. Unfortunately, Suman was transferred to Lucknow. In another case, Nutan Sharma, a steno in the Union Ministry of Railways, was transferred, following her complaint that R P Sharma, secretary to the Chief Operating Manager, molested her. Alisha Chinai's suit against music composer Anu Malik, demanding Rs. 26,60,000 as damages for sexual harassment, met with a similar fate. Malik filed a Rs. 2 crore defamation suit. But the most well-known instance of a sexually harassed woman taking the help of the law to teach the harasser a lesson is that of Rupan Deol Bajaj. Bajaj was slapped on the bottom by the then DGP of Punjab, K P S Gill. Accusing him of indecent behaviour, Bajaj fought an 8-year legal battle. The hard work paid off. Gill was convicted and sentenced to three months RI. What is the employer's responsibility? The employer is responsible for creating appropriate working conditions for health, work, leisure and hygiene. When the victim complains to the employer, the onus is on the employer to make

appropriate investigations. If the employer does not pay heed to the complaint, he can be held responsible. The employer must set up a complaint mechanism in each department of the company. The Supreme Court's guidelines are binding on Central and State governments and the private and public sector. If the employer does not comply, he has to face a writ petition for contempt of court. What can women do? As women, we can make it easier for ourselves.We must shed our mentality of tolerance. We have to stop telling ourselves that this kind ofbehaviour on the part of men is inevitable and unavoidable.Express strong resistance the first time it occurs. If you allow the action to take place without expressing your strongest disapproval, the offender will assume that he has your consent. Don't encourage males to behave unbecomingly with you or try to attract their undue attention. At all times, maintain your own self-respect. Dress in a manner that befits a work environment.In case someone behaves with you in a manner that makes you feel uncomfortable, protest loudly and at once. Let others know that such conduct has been meted out to you. Keep safe distance from the offending party. As more and more women join the workforce, the law must ensure that women are able to enjoy the rights promised to them by the Constitution. We must ensure that they are treated with dignity and assured of gender equality and that they are not discriminated against on account of their sex. Considering that until retirement, we spend a little less than two-thirds of our lives working, we must take pains to ensure that we spend it in a dignified and productive manner. Sigmund Freud perspective on women:
Penis Envy

Penis envy is the female counterpart to Freuds concept of castration anxiety. In his theory of psychosexual development, Freud suggested that during the phallic stage (around ages 3-5) young girls distance themselves from their mothers and instead devote their affections to their fathers. According to Freud, this occurs when a girl realizes that she has no penis. "Girls hold their mother responsible for their lack of a penis and do not forgive her for their being thus put at a disadvantage," Freud suggested (1933). While Freud believed that his discovery of the Oedipal complex and related theories such as castration anxiety and penis envy were his greatest accomplishments, these theories are perhaps his most criticized. Female psychoanalysts such as Karen Horney and other feminist thinkers have described his ideas as distorted and condescending.

 Hysteria Freuds revolutionary talk therapy evolved in part from his work with Bertha Pappenheim, who is known as Anna O. Suffering from what was then referred to as hysteria, she experienced a variety of symptoms that included hallucinations, amnesia and partial paralysis. During sessions with one of Freuds colleagues, Joseph Bruer, Pappenheim described her feelings and experiences. This process seemed to alleviate her symptoms, which led her to dub the method the "talking cure." Pappenheim went on to become a social worker and made significant contributions to the womens movement in Germany. Initially, Freud suggested that the causes of hysteria were rooted in childhood sexual abuse. He later abandoned this theory and instead emphasized the role of sexual fantasies in the development of a variety of neuroses and illnesses. "His understanding of women was notoriously inadequate, but he did make great steps beyond what was understood about women when he came on the scene. It was very unusual in Freud's time even to acknowledge that women had sexual desire, much less to say that the repression of their sexual desire could make them hysterical," explained historian Peter Gay (Grubin, 2002). Freud's Perspective on Women: Sigmund Freuds views on women stirred controversy during his own lifetime and continue to evoke considerable debate today. "Women oppose change, receive passively, and add nothing of their own," he wrote in a 1925 paper entitled "The Psychical Consequences of the Anatomic Distinction Between the Sexes." Donna Stewart, M.D., a professor and chair of womens health at the University Health Network, explained, "Freud was a man of his times. He was opposed to the womens emancipation movement and believed that womens lives were dominated by their sexual reproductive functions" Women in Freuds Life: While Freud often claimed that he had little understanding of women, several women played important roles in his personal life. Freud was his mothers eldest child (his father had two older sons from a previous marriage) and has often been described as her special favorite. "I have found that people who know that they are preferred or favored by their mothers give evidence in their lives of a peculiar self-reliance and an unshakable optimism which often bring actual success to their possessors," Freud once commented (Grubin, 2002).

Freuds relationship with his wife, Martha, was very traditional. "She was a very good hausfrau (housewife)," explained his granddaughter, Sophie Freud. "She was very thrifty. And my father would say that his mother would rather poison the whole household than throw food away" RELIGION VS GENDER EQUALITY How do religions treat women? How do emancipated women treat religion? A sequence of events recently has made my mind unquiet over this subject. Nita asked if Hinduism was coming of age, with people performing the sacred thread ceremony on their daughters. The BJP found itself trapped in the maze of confusion surrounding Hindutva. And Sarkozy said that women wearing burqas were not welcome in France, as it was more a sign of womens subservience rather than religion. TheRational Fool hailed Sarkozys statement, while I and Etlamatey pondered about individual womens rights in the comments. Like I always do, I responded to my unquiet mind by thinking, scouring the net, and thinking some more. Here is a sampling of what I found An American convert to Islam urges Muslims to fight against brutality of woman to preserve Islams image in the eyes of others.A Hindu woman converted to Islam says Islam is not oppressive, unlike Hinduism A Hindu perspective explains how Abortion is Bad Karma genocide of Women in Hinduism by Sita Agarwal Did the burqa bring about the ghunghat or the other way around? Read this. Did women have fewer rights than men or different in the context of Hinduisms history? A heated debate ensued after Hindus started a campaign to change the content of sixth-grade school history textbooks in California. A Globe and Mail opinion piece discusses the reduction in church attendance among Canadian women and whether oppression of women by religious institutions is the main cause, while Tina disagrees in her blog post. How does Canadian society achieve gender equality rights enshrined in their Charter, which also protects the right to freedom of religion? The Star looks at the conflict of interests.Muslim-dominated Indonesia is a religious country where atheism is banned by law. Alarmed at the extent of oppression of women in their country, a group of Islamic and Christian leaders have released new manuscripts in an effort to use religion to achieve gender equality.BBC had an open debate on air on whether religion is an obstacle to gender equality. The extensive comments represent myriad opinions and differing perspectives on this issue. One example of a response to this debate is by Sally, who says that faith is an integral part of her, and suggests womenwork within their faiths for change. In the above list, I have not listed any pro-atheist source, and strived to include Hinduism related articles. Referencing articles on Hinduism and gender equality or feminism is difficult for three reasons. One, the global discussion has centered on Islam, and the English-speaking Internet population is largely Christian.

Two, Hinduism is unique in its flexible and diverse interpretations. While all religions are intentionally scripted so as to offer multiple contradictory interpretations, Hinduism wins this ambiguity race by claiming to be all-inclusive. Devout religious folks from other religions do argue (as seen in the above examples) that the oppression of women is a misinterpretation and misuse of their true religion. But Hindus cant be surpassed in this respect: not only are there multiple contradictory interpretations of Hinduism, even these contradictions can be claimed to be embraced by it. I think it would be a safe bet to say that for every principle supposedly propounded by Hinduism, a contradictory principle can be found within Hinduism. People would not call me a mathematician if I did not follow mathematics, but they will call me a Hindu even if I did not follow it. Third, for a religion that has existed for centuries, and is said to be flexible and evolving, it is impossible to differentiate religious practices from social customs and traditions. Do Hindu women wear the mangalsutra or bangles because of religion or tradition? Widow burning or sati is widely described in the world as a Hindu practice, but naturally, there are arguments and differing opinions about it. For atheists like me, the issue is very simple. Religion has been used as an instrument of gender inequality, specifically, in the oppression of women. Removing religion from the picture removes religious and theological justifications for patriarchy, as Austin argues. Sally says that in the absence of religion, men will find other ways to oppress women, hence religion as such is not an obstacle. Indeed, many factors contribute to gender inequality, one of them being economic prosperity, as this chart shows. However, there still exists a strong correlation between the extent of organic atheism (as opposed to coerced atheism like in communist countries) in a country and its overall gender equation. Both the 2004 and 2006 rankings of the Gender Empowerment Measure, which is part of the theUNDPs Human Development Report, show that the top ten nations with the highest gender equality are all strongly organic atheistic nations, while the bottom ten are all highly religious countries with insignificant number of atheists. But, as Phil Zuckerman points out in the The Cambridge Companion to Atheism, the causal relationship is in reverse: overall societal healthcauses widespread atheism, not the other way around. It is impossible to argue against faith and belief, so I do not venture much into such debates. I prefer not challenging other peoples beliefs as long as they do not interfere with my life. What I find perplexing is how even emancipated women prefer to remain within their religious faiths and struggle against oppression, rather than choosing to discard religion? If faith and belief are important, and hence atheism and agnosticism are rejected, why are other forms of theism not popular? In the end, I think I differ from Sarkozy: if women choose to be subservient, let them be. It is their right. Men should not trample over that right, though they can trample over such women, if

they wish.God is merciful, but only if youre a man. An excellent piece in The Observer that asks the exact same questions I did, and offers the exact same answer Rational Fool did in the comments Stockholm Syndrome.Wherever religion and its patriarchs rule, womens lives are in danger. Women in Hinduism: In ancient India, women occupied a very important position, in fact a superior position to, men. It is a culture whose only words for strength and power are feminine -"Shakti'' means "power'' and "strength.'' All male power comes from the feminine. Literary evidence suggests that kings and towns were destroyed because a single woman was wronged by the state. For example, Valmiki's Ramayana teaches us that Ravana and his entire clan was wiped out because he abducted Sita. Veda Vyasa's Mahabharatha teaches us that all the Kauravas were killed because they humiliated Draupadi in public. Elango Adigal's Sillapathigaram teaches us Madurai, the capital of the Pandyas was burnt because Pandyan Nedunchezhiyan mistakenly killed her husband on theft charges. In Vedic times women and men were equal as far as education and religion was concerned. Women participated in the public sacrifices alongside men. One text mentions a female rishi Visvara. Some Vedic hymns, are attributed to women such as Apala, the daughter of Atri, Ghosa, the daughter of Kaksivant or Indrani, the wife of Indra. Apparently in early Vedic times women also received the sacred thread and could study the Vedas. The Haritasmrti mentions a class of women called brahmavadinis who remained unmarried and spent their lives in study and ritual. Panini's distinction between arcarya (a lady teacher) and acaryani (a teacher's wife), and upadhyaya (a woman preceptor) and upadhyayani ( a preceptor's wife) indicates that women at that time could not only be students but also teachers of sacred lore. He mentions the names of several noteworthy women scholars of the past such as Kathi, Kalapi, and Bahvici. The Upanishads refer to several women philosophers, who disputed with their male colleagues such as Vacaknavi, who challenged Yajnavalkya. The Rig Veda also refers to women engaged in warfare. One queen Bispala is mentioned, and even as late a witness as Megasthenes (fifth century B.C. E.) mentions heavily armed women guards protecting Chandragupta's palace. To understand the position of women in Hinduism, one must understand the true essence of Hindu scriptures and be able to discriminate between what is religious philosophy versus what was merely social philosophy in the ancient times. The social philosophy varies with time, but the religious ideals do not. This point is critical since Hinduism has a large number of scriptures and lack of right understanding as to their content and hierarchy can result in distortion of the Hindu religious tradition. Hindu scriptures re generally classified into two categories: Sruti (primary scriptures) and Smriti (secondary scriptures). Sruti in Sanskrit means that which is heard. Thus the Sruti scriptures are the eternal truths that the Vedic seers, called rishis, are said

to have heard in their deep meditations. These scriptures are not considered the works of the human mind, but an expression of what has been realized through intuitive perception. This category includes Vedas, Upanishads, Brahmasutra and the Bhagavad Gita. Some sampradayas (religious traditions) consider their Agamas also as Sruti scriptures. The Sruti scriptures are the primary scriptures of Hinduism and, as such, hold the highest authority. Smriti in Sanskrit means that which is remembered. Smriti scriptures are considered to be of human origin and include a large number of religious writings, such as Ramayana, Mahabharatta, Puranas, Manu Smriti, and Dharma Shastras. Smriti scriptures are the secondary scriptures of Hinduism and are subordinate to the Sruti scriptures. What is the purpose of the Smriti scriptures? The primary scriptures of Hinduism (Sruti) are difficult to understand by the general masses. Furthermore, they only address the goal of human life (Self-Realization) and how to attain this goal with the spiritual code of conduct known asYama and Niyama. Sruti scriptures are not concerned with the social philosophy that varies from time to time. The Smriti scriptures were written later to explain and elaborate the Sruti scriptures, making them understandable and more meaningful to the general population. Smriti scriptures use real life stories, narratives, fables, myths and folklore to expound the highest truths contained in the Sruti scriptures. Smriti scriptures were also written to delineate the social philosophy for the Hindu society in the ancient times. Later, when the sectarian fever rose in India, many sects wrote more Smriti scriptures to promote their religious views. Some of these sects wrote their own scriptures in which they even compared deities and declared their own deities to be superior to others. There are stories (such as Satyanarayana Katha) which even depict deities as being sometimes angry, revengeful, dictatorial, and power-thirsty. What is the view of Hinduisms highest scriptures (Sruti) on the position of women? Religious scholars agree that Upanishads are the highest among even the Sruti scriptures. The philosophy of all the Upanishads is summarized in four verses, which are called Mahavakyas (great utterances). These are: aham Brahmasmi (I am the spirit, i.e. atman), tat tvam asi (That thou art), prajnanam Brahma (Brahman is pure consciousness) and ayam atma Brahma (this self is Brahman). In different ways and by different words, all these four Mahavakyas simply confirm the fact that an individual regardless of religion, race, culture, gender, color, cast, creed or geographic location is atman clothed in a physical body. The physical body we get is the result of our past karma. What we are now is the result of our past practice and again practice makes us what we shall be. The differences between individuals exist only at physical level. There are no spiritual differences between man and woman. The husband and wife are the two sides of the same coin. They are the two manifestations of the same atman. For this very reason, Swami Vivekananda says, The husband and wife are the two wings of a bird. This is the highest teaching of Hinduism and comes from its highest scriptures. Hindu religious philosophy views marriage like a triangle where God is at the apex and the husband and wife are at the other two corners that farm the base of the triangle. As long as the

couple is at the base, there is great separation between them. However, when they begin moving towards God together, the distance between them decreases. The distance between then decreases to zero when they reach God and unite in Him forever in joy. If any one of its wings is inferior, weak or damaged, the bird will fail to fly. The most important rite of the Vedic wedding ceremony is Sapatpadi. Here the bride and bridegroom take seven steps together around the nuptial fire (Agni) and make the following seven wedding vows to each other: With God as guide, let us take, the first step to nourish each other, the second step to grow together in strength, the third step to preserve our wealth, the fourth step to share our joys and sorrows, the fifth step to care for our children, the sixth step to be together forever, and the seventh step to remain lifelong friends, perfect halves to make a perfect whole. The words perfect halves to make perfect hole is the final word of Hinduism on the relationship between husband and wife. Thus Hinduism provides same religious rights and privileges to women as it does to men. Neither is woman superior to man, nor is man superior to woman. Both are perfect halves to make perfect hole. The following are quotes from other scriptures that further confirm the equality between men and women in all religious and spiritual aspects: Unite, O Lord, this couple like a pair of lovebirds. May they be surrounded by children living both long and happy Atharva Veda Samhita Let there be faithfulness to each other until death. This may be considered as the summary of the highest law for husband and wife. May our prayers and worship be alike, and may our devotional offerings be one and the same. Rig Veda Samhita. What the above scriptures tell us is this: The marriage in Hindu religion is a life-long partnership between two lovebirds, called husband and wife. The highest religion for these lovebirds is to be faithful to each other. Neither is the husband god, nor is the wife goddess. Both are the soul in bondage and their prayers and worship should be alike for their spiritual freedom, moksha. Here is what Mahatma Gandhi tells us about women in general and husband-wife relationship in particular: To call women the weaker sex is libel; it is mans injustice to women. Mahatma Gandhi The wife is not the husbands bond-slave but his companion and his help-mate and an equal partner in all his joys and sorrows---as free as the husband to choose her own path. Mahatma Gandhi

Baba Hari Dass, a well-known modern living saint reminds us that:Wife and Husband are like two equal halves of a soybean. One half-alone will not grow. If two parts are separated and planted in the earth, still they will not grow. The bean will growonly when both parts are covered by one skin, which makes them one. If we study the ancient history, we find that women held top religious and social positions in the Vedic period. There are references to women sages and saints in Vedas and Upanishads who were greatly revered for their religious and spiritual wisdom. During and following the epic period, the caste system (an ancient social philosophy) became rigid, which caused conflict within the society. The women often became the victims of this internal social conflict as well as the violence caused by the foreign invaders. The protection of women thus became a pressing issue for the society and the men had to shoulder this responsibility. The critical need to protect the women during the ancient period is clearly reflected in the following verse of the Manusmriti: Father protects (her) in childhood, husband protects (her) in youth, and sons protect (her) in old age. A woman cannot be left unprotected. Thus, the husband became the sole protector (like god) of his wife. This led to a social structure in which a wife was expected to cling to her husband for protection--in other words, worship him. This is why Ramayana says that the highest dharma of the woman is to worship her husband. The times have changed and the ancient social philosophy is irrelevant now. Harmlessness is considered the highest morality in Hinduism (Mahabharatta Shantiparva. A Hindu is taught to advance the spirit of harmlessness by maintaining harmony in his own life, in the family and society, with the ultimate goal spiritual perfection through selfless work, meditation and yoga. Scriptures are a means to this end, but not the end in themselves. If the social philosophy delineated by the Sacred Law of the ancient times is not suitable now, it should be ignored, including those writings which expound the superiority of man over woman or vice versa, husband over wife or vice versa, or one deity over another. Hindus are permitted to exercise this choice by one of the Hinduisms most dominant Smriti scripture, Manu Smriti, which declares: Let him avoid the acquisition of wealth and the gratification of his desires, if they are opposed the Sacred Law, and even lawful acts which may cause pain in future or are offensive...Manu Smriti. The greatness of Hinduism is that it teaches us to cling to wisdom and not to dogma. This is why the above verse says that we must avoid even the lawful acts (i.e., even scriptures) if they cause pain or are offensive. We know that Bhagvan Krishna narrated entire Bhagavad Gita to provide Hinduisms highest spiritual knowledge to Arjuna. But in the end, Krishna advises Arjuna to use his (Aarjunas) own wisdom and conscience to make his decision.

I have given you the words of vision and wisdom more secret than hidden mysteries. Ponder over them in the silence of thy soul, and then in freedom do thy will. In freedom do thy will is what Hindu religious thought is all about. We must always discriminate between what is right and what is wrong, and not follow the rules blindly. The beauty of Hinduism is that it encourages the freedom of thought that no other religion in the world even comes close to. . In conclusion, woman has the same religious and spiritual freedom in Hinduism as man. Like a man, she is the soul in bondage and the goal of her life is the same as that of man, spiritual perfection or moksha through selfless work, meditation and yoga. Hindus have elevated women to the level of divinity. They worship God in the form of Divine Mother. However, the status of women in Hindu society has also been affected by factors other than the ideals set forth in the Vedas and Upanishads, such as cultural mores and the exploitation of the biological and psychological differences between men and women. Therefore, on an individual and social level, complete and total equality of women is a goal that Hindu society (and other societies) is still striving for. As Swami Vivekananda says, we must realize that man and woman are two wings of the same bird; that in order to truly soar to great heights, a man and woman must work in unison in order to achieve greater harmony in life. Manusmriti By Manuvaadis Manu divides Hindus into four varnas i.e.casteism. He not only divide Hindus into four varnas, he also grades them. Besides prescribing rank and occupation Manu grants privilege to swarnas and imposes penalties on the shudras.The status of the Shudras in the Hindu society as prescribed by Manu the Law-giver and the Architect of Hindu society. There are so many Codes of the Manu Smriti against the Shudras and Women which are below: 1. For the welfare of humanity the supreme creator Brahma, gave birth to the Brahmins from his mouth, the Kshatriyas from his shoulders, the Vaishyas from his thighs and Shudras from his feet. 2. God said the duty of a Shudra is to serve the upper varnas faithfully with devotion and without grumbling. (Manu 1-91) Manu is not satisfied with this. He wants this servile status of the Shudras to be expressed in the names and surnames of persons belonging to that community. Manu says: 3. Let the first part of a Brahmans name denote something auspicious, a Kshatriyas be connected with power, and a Vaishyas with wealth but a Shudras express something contemptible.

4. The second part of a Brahmins name shall be a word implying happiness, of a Kshatriyas (a word) implying protection, of a Vaishyas a term expressive of thriving and of a Shudras an expression denoting service. 5. A hundred year old Kshatriya must treat a ten year old Brahmin boy as his father. 6. The Brahmin should never invite persons of other varnas for food. In case, the latter begs the Brahmin for food, the Brahmin may give them some left-over. Even these left-over must be served not by the Brahmin but by his servants outside the house. 7. He who instructs Shudra pupils and he whose teacher is a Shudra shall become disqualified for being invited to a shradha. 8. A Shudra is unfit of receive education. The upper varnas should not impart education or give advice to a Shudra.It is not necessary that the Shudra should know the laws and codes and hence need not be taught. Violators will go to as amrita hell. 9. "Let him not dwell in a country where the rulers are Shudras." 10. He must never read the Vedas in the presence of the Shudras. 11. Any country, where there are no Brahmins, of where they are not happy will get devastated and destroyed. 12. A Brahmana who is only a Brahman by decent i.e., one who has neither studied nor performed any other act required by the Vedas may, at the kings pleasure, interpret the law to him i.e., act as the judge, but never a Shudra (however learned he may be). 13. The Kingdom of that monarch, who looks on while a Shudra settles the law, will sink low like a cow in the morass. 14. Any Brahmin, who enslaves or tries to enslave a Brahmin, is liable for a penalty of no less than 600 PANAS. A Brahmin can order a Shudra to serve him without any remuneration because the Shudra is created by Brahma to serve the Brahmins. Even if a Brahmin frees a Shudra from slavery the Shudra continues to be a slave as he is created for slavery. Nobody has the right to free him. 15. A Shudra who insults a twice born man with gross invectives shall have his tongue cut out; for he is of low origin. 16. If he mentions the names and castes of the (twice born) with contumely, an iron nail, ten fingers long, shall be thrust red hot into his mouth. 17. If a Shudra arrogantly presumes to preach religion to Brahmins, the king shall have poured burning oil in his mouth and ears.

18. A Shudra who has an intercourse with a woman of the higher caste guarded or unguarded shall be punished n the following manner; if she was unguarded, he loses the offending part; if she was guarded then he should be put to death and his property confiscated." 19. A Brahman may compel a Shudra, whether bought or unbought, to do servile work for he is created by the creator to be the slave of a Brahmana. 20. No Shudra should have property of his own, He should have nothing of his own. The existence of a wealthy Shudra is bad for the Brahmins. A Brahman may take possession of the goods of a Shudra. 21. A Brahman may seize without hesitation, if he be in distress for his subsistence, the goods of his Shudra. The Shudra can have only one occupation. This is one of the inexorable laws of Manu. says Manu. 22. A Shudra who wants to just fill his stomach may serve a Vaishya. If he wants a permanent means of living he can serve a Kshatriya. But if he wants to go to heaven or wants higher or superior birth in the next generation he must serve a Brahmin. 23. The most sacred duty of a Shudra is to serve the Brahmins, always, reciting the words "Brahman" with utmost devotion. Such a Shudra will get salvation. Otherwise he will die a worst death and will go to the worst hell. 24. But let a (Shudra) serve Brahmans, either for the sake of heaven, or with a view to both (this life and the next) for he who is called the servant of a Brahman thereby gains all his ends. 25. The service of Brahmans alone is declared (to be) an excellent occupation for a Shudra for whatever else besides this he may perform will bear him no fruit. 26. They must allot to him out of their own family (property) a suitable maintenance, after considering his ability, his industry, and the number of those whom he is bound to support. 27. Brahmins to give Shudras food leftovers, old torn clothes, spoiled grain and old utensils. 28. No superfluous collection of wealth must be made by a Shudra, even though he has power to make it, since a servile man, who has amassed riches, becomes proud, and, by his insolence or neglect, gives pain to Brahmins. 29. A Brahmin shall never beg from a Shudra, property for (performing) a sacrifice i.e., for religious purposes. All marriages with the Shudra were prescribed. Marriage with a woman belonging to any of three other classes was forbidden. A Shudra was not to have a connection with a woman of the higher classes and an act of adultery committed by a Shudra with her was considered by Manu to be an offence involving capital punishment. In the matter of acquiring learning and knowledge Manus successors went much

beyond him in the cruelty of their punishment of the Shudra for studying the Veda. For instance, Katyayana lays down that if a Shudra over heard the Veda or ventured to utter a word of the Veda, the king shall cut his tongue in twain and pour hot molten lead in his ear. Manus law book and its strict compliance by the Brahmans, it may be summarized that men and women are not born equal. There is no room for individual merit and no consideration of individual justice. If the individual has the privilege, it is not because it is due to his/her personally. The privilege goes with class, and if it is his/her good luck to enjoy it, he/she is destined to be born in the privileged class. On the other hand, if an individual is suffering in a class, it is because he belongs to that class. Thereby, logically speaking from Manusmritis point of view, the suffering of Shudras and women is because of their being part of their caste and sex respectively. Manus social order breeds 'social out-caste, which in turn dishes out social injustice to the underprivileged. Nardas Smriti (law book), openly advocate slavery, but since Varnashram (a creation of caste system by the Manu) was critical and deviously interwoven into religion. Black Laws against the Women - Casteism and Degration of Women 1. Every woman must be loyal, faithful. obedient honorable to her husband even if he is blind, deaf, dumb, old, physically handicapped, debauchel or, gambler and neglects his wife and lives with his concubine(s). If the husband is unhappy, it would be the fault of his wife. If he cries, she should cry. If he laughs she should laugh. She can only answer humbly to his question. She should not on her own put any question. She should eat only after her husband eats. If he is beating she should not react, but fall on his feet and beg him to pardon her, and kiss his hands and pacify him. If the husband dies she should burn herself to death on his funeral pyre and go along with him to the other world and serve him there in this manner. (Padma Purana) 2. Women are fickle minded. Never believe them. Friendship with a women is just like friendship with a wolf. 3. A virtuous woman is one who dies on the funeral pyre of her dead husband and avails the privilege of serving her husband in the other world. 4. Woman is the source of sorrow. At birth she makes her mother weep. At the time of the puberty she makes her parents weep. At the time of the marriage she makes all her family members and relatives weep. In youth she commits lot of blunders and brings bad name to the entire family, relatives and Varna. She tortures the hearts of her parents, husband and other family members. She is called 'DARIKA' because she is source of sorrow to all. 5. Women are liers, corrupt, greedy, and unvirtuous. 6. Even for a woman, the performance of the sanskaras are necessary and they should be performed. But they should be performed without uttering the Veda Mantras.

7. It is the nature of women to seduce men in this (world); the wise are never unguarded in the company of males. 8. For women are able to lead astray in this world not only a fool, but even a learned man, and (to make) him a slave of desire and anger." 9. One should not sit in a lonely place with one's mother, sister or daughter, for the senses are powerful, and master even a learned man." 10. A Brahmin male by virtue of his birth becomes the first husband of all women in the universe. 11. Women not care for beauty, nor is their attention fied on age; (thinking); (it is though that) he is a man, they give themselves to the handsome and to the ugly. 12. By a girl, by a young woman, or even by an aged one, nothing must be done independently, even in her own house." 13. In childhood a female must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, when her lord is dead to her sons; a woman must never be independent. 14. She must not seek to separate herself from her father, husband or son; by leaving them. She would make them both (her own and her husband's) family incompatible. 15. A Brahman must never eat food given at a sacrifice performed by a woman. 16. Sacrifices performed by women are inauspicious and not acceptable to god. They should therefore be avoided. 17. A girl must be under the care of her father . . . in youth under the care of the husband and in old age under the care of her sons. But she should never be free and independent. 18. She must always be cheerful, clever in management of her household affairs, careful in cleaning her utensils and economical in expenditure. 19. Him to whom her father may give her, or her brother with the father's permission, she shall obey as long as he lives and when he is dead, must not insult his memory. 20. The husband who wedded her with sacred mantras is always a source of happiness to his wife, both in season and out of season, in this world and in the next. 21. Though destitute or virtuous, or seeking pleasure elsewhere, or devoid of good qualities, yet a husband must be constantly worshipped as a god by a faithful wife. 22. No sacrifice, no vow, no fast must be performed by women, apart from their husbands. If a wife obeys her husband, she will for that reason alone be exalted in heaven.

23. At her pleasure let her (i.e. widow) enunciate her body, by living voluntarily on pure flowers, roots and fruits, but let her not when her lord is deceased, even pronounce the name of another man. 24. But a widow, who from a wish to bear children, slights her deceased husband by marrying again, brings disgrace on herself here below, and shall be excluded from the seat of her lord (in heaven). 25. Responsibly the father who gives not (his daughter) in marriage at the proper time. 26. A woman must always maintain her virtue and surrender her body to her husband only, ever if she is married off to an ugly person or even a leper. 27. Through their passion for men, through their mutable temper, through their natural heartlessness, they become disloyal towards their husbands, however, carefully they may be guarded in this world. 28. Knowing their disposition, which the Lord of Creatures laid in them at the creation, to be such, (every) man should most strenuously exert himself to guard them. 29. When creating them, Manu allotted to women (a love of their) bed, (of heart) seat and (of) ornament, impure desires, wrath, dishonesty, malice, and bad conduct. 30. Killing of a woman, a Shudra or an atheist is not sinful. Woman is an embodiment of the worst desires, hatred, deceit, jealousy and bad character. Women should never be given freedom. 31. Women have no right to study the Vedas. That is why their Sanskars are performed without Veda Mantras. women have no knowledge of religion because they have no right to know the Vedas. The uttering of Veda Mantras, they are as unclean as untruth is." 32. All women are born of sinful wombs. 33. The husband is declared to be one with the wife, which means there could be no separation once a woman is married. 34. Neither by sale nor by repudiation is a wife released from her husband. 35. To a distinguished, handsome suitor of equal caste should she have not attained (the proper age) (i.e. although she may not have reached puberty). 36. A wife, a son and a slave, they three are declared to have no property: the wealth which they earn is (acquired)for him to whom they belong. 37. None of the acts of women can be taken as good and reasonable.

38. Day and night women must be kept in dependence by males (of their families), and, if they attach themselves to sexual enjoyments, they must be kept under one's control. 39. 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." 40. Women must particularly be guarded against evil inclinations, however trifling (they may appear); for, if they are not guarded, they will bring sorrow on to families." 41. Considering that the highest duty of all castes even weak husbands (must) scribe to guard their wives. 42. A woman shall not perform the daily sacrifices prescribed by the Vedas. Women In Judaism: Women in traditional Judaism has been grossly misrepresented and misunderstood. The position of women is not nearly as lowly as many modern people think; in fact, the position of women in halakhah (Jewish Law) that dates back to the biblical period is in many ways better than the position of women under American civil law as recently as a century ago. Many of the important feminist leaders of the 20th century (Gloria Steinem, for example, and Betty Friedan) are Jewish women, and some commentators have suggested that this is no coincidence: the respect accorded to women in Jewish tradition was a part of their ethnic culture. In traditional Judaism, women are for the most part seen as separate but equal. Women's obligations and responsibilities are different from men's, but no less important (in fact, in some ways, women's responsibilities are considered more important, as we shall see). The equality of men and women begins at the highest possible level: G-d. In Judaism, unlike traditional Christianity, G-d has never been viewed as exclusively male or masculine. Judaism has always maintained that G-d has both masculine and feminine qualities. As one Chasidic rabbi explained it to me, G-d has no body, no genitalia, therefore the very idea that G-d is male or female is patently absurd. We refer to G-d using masculine terms simply for convenience's sake, because Hebrew has no neutral gender; G-d is no more male than a table is. Both man and woman were created in the image of G-d. According to most Jewish scholars, "man" was created in Gen. 1:27 with dual gender, and was later separated into male and female. According to traditional Judaism, women are endowed with a greater degree of "binah" (intuition, understanding, intelligence) than men. The rabbis inferred this from the fact that woman was "built" (Gen. 2:22) rather than "formed"and the Hebrew root of "build" has the same consonants as the word "binah." It has been said that the matriarchs (Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah) were superior to the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) in prophecy. Women did not

participate in the idolatry regarding the Golden Calf. See Rosh Chodeshbelow. Some traditional sources suggest that women are closer to G-d's ideal than men. Women have held positions of respect in Judaism since biblical times. Miriam is considered one of the liberators of the Children of Israel, along with her brothers Moses and Aaron. One of the Judges (Deborah) was a woman. Seven of the 55 prophets of the Bible were women (they are included in the list of biblical prophets). The Ten Commandments require respect for both mother and father. Note that the father comes first in Ex. 20:12, but the mother comes first in Lev. 19:3, and many traditional sources point out that this reversal is intended to show that both parents are equally entitled to honor and reverence. There were many learned women of note. The Talmud and later rabbinical writings speak of the wisdom of Berurya, the wife of Rabbi Meir. In several instances, her opinions on halakah (Jewish Law) were accepted over those of her male contemporaries. In the ketubah (marriage contract) of Rabbi Akiba's son, the wife is obligated to teach the husband Torah! Many rabbis over the centuries have been known to consult their wives on matters of Jewish law relating to the woman's role, such as laws of kashrut and women's cycles. The wife of a rabbi is referred to as a rebbetzin, practically a title of her own, which should give some idea of her significance in Jewish life. There can be no doubt, however, that the Talmud also has many negative things to say about women. Various rabbis at various times describe women as lazy, jealous, vain and gluttonous, prone to gossip and particularly prone to the occult and witchcraft. Men are repeatedly advised against associating with women, although this is usually because of man's lust rather than because of any shortcoming in women. It is worth noting that the Talmud also has negative things to say about men, frequently describing men as particularly prone to lust and forbidden sexual desires. Women are discouraged from pursuing higher education or religious pursuits, but this seems to be primarily because women who engage in such pursuits might neglect their primary duties as wives and mothers. The rabbis are not concerned that women are not spiritual enough; rather, they are concerned that women might become too spiritually devoted. The rights of women in traditional Judaism are much greater than they were in the rest of Western civilization until the 20th century. Women had the right to buy, sell, and own property, and make their own contracts, rights which women in Western countries (including America) did not have until about 100 years ago. In fact, Proverbs 31:10-31, which is traditionally read at Jewish weddings, speaks repeatedly of business acumen as a trait to be prized in women. Women have the right to be consulted with regard to their marriage. Marital sex is regarded as the woman's right, and not the man's. Men do not have the right to beat or mistreat their wives, a

right that was recognized by law in many Western countries until a few hundred years ago. In cases of rape, a woman is generally presumed not to have consented to the intercourse, even if she enjoyed it, even if she consented after the sexual act began and declined a rescue! This is in sharp contrast to American society, where even today rape victims often have to overcome public suspicion that they "asked for it" or "wanted it." Traditional Judaism recognizes that forced sexual relations within the context of marriage are rape and are not permitted; in many states in America today, rape within marriage is still not a crime. There is no question that in traditional Judaism, the primary role of a woman is as wife and mother, keeper of the household. However, Judaism has great respect for the importance of that role and the spiritual influence that the woman has over her family. The Talmud says that when a pious man marries a wicked woman, the man becomes wicked, but when a wicked man marries a pious woman, the man becomes pious. The child of a Jewish woman and a gentile man is Jewish because of the mother's spiritual influence; the child of a Jewish man and a gentile woman is not. See Who Is a Jew? Women are exempted from all positive mitzvot ("thou shalts" as opposed to "thou shalt nots") that are time-related (that is, mitzvot that must be performed at a specific time of the day or year), because the woman's duties as wife and mother are so important that they cannot be postponed to fulfill a mitzvah. After all, a woman cannot be expected to just drop a crying baby when the time comes to perform a mitzvah. She cannot leave dinner unattended on the stove while she davens ma'arivs (evening prayer services). It is this exemption from certain mitzvot that has led to the greatest misunderstanding of the role of women in Judaism. First, many people make the mistake of thinking that this exemption is a prohibition. On the contrary, although women are not required to perform time-based positive mitzvot, they are generally permitted to observe such mitzvot if they choose (though some are frustrated with women who insist on performing visible, prestigious optional mitzvot while they ignore mundane mandatory ones). Second, because this exemption diminishes the role of women in the synagogue, many people perceive that women have no role in Jewish religious life. This misconception derives from the mistaken assumption that Jewish religious life revolves around the synagogue. It does not; it revolves around the home, where the woman's role is every bit as important as the man's. Islamic Prespective on women: Woman's status in Islam is one of the most controversial and serious issues of our time, not only among Muslim women and those who represent them in the area of women's rights in the Islamic world, but also among fundamentalist Muslims. The reader may find himself confused owing to the large number of books that treat this subject, for the most part, superficially and partially. Some cover Islam's achievements for the woman, maintaining that it was Islam that gave the woman her rights and honour while others blame all the disadvantages in the position of Muslim women on Islam.

Since in this book we mean by Islam what the Quran and Hadith say, we want to treat the woman's position primarily in these two sources. What rights has Islam given to the woman, and what disadvantages has it brought her? Some commentaries of consequence will also be reviewed. We will also cite the opinions of older theologians and jurists (experts on Sharia), and the comments of the contemporary fundamentalists and their attitudes toward the western and eastern critics who uphold the issue of women's rights. As will be made clear in the following chapters, it will not be possible to cite the Quranic references when treating the woman's position in the Sharia (Islamic law). The Quran often remains silent when it comes to certain topics, even if the topics have to do with the heart of the Sharia. There are also matters that the Quran touches upon without describing them in detail. Women in the Quran: First: As a biological and social being. Second: as a believer. Third: as a character in the biblical salvation narrative. Apart from the wife of Muhammad's uncle Abu Lahab, and Zainab, one of Muhammad's wives to whom the Quran alluded,the Virgin Mary is the most important female character in the Qur an. The nineteenth sura of the Quran is named after her, the only female name the Quran mentions. The other women whose stories are narrated in the Quran are never mentioned by name, rather they were called the wives of their respective husbands. Among them are: Eve, the wife of Imran (Sura Al Imran 3:35), the wife of the governor (Sura Yusuf 12:30), Pharaoh's wife (Sura al-Qasas 28:9), Lot's wife (Sura al-Tahrim 66:10), Abraham's wife (Sura Hud 11:71), and Noah's wife (Sura al-Tahrim 66:10). What the Quran says about the woman as a biological social being can be considered objective, not diminishing any of her rights, though the prevailing theme in this respect is "Men are the managers of women for that God has preferred in bounty one of them over another, and for that they have expended of their property" (Sura al-Nisa 4:34). The Quran pictures Mary's mother as being disappointed over the fact that she gave birth to a "female": "Lord, I have given birth to her, a female- (And God knew very well what she had given birth to; the male is not as the female)-" (Sura Al Imran 3:36). We find in such Quranic verses Muhammad's attempt to project the Bedouin concept of the woman onto a biblical episode. As concerns creation, no distinction in rank is found between man and woman. According to Islam, Adam was the first man, as the Bible also says, "He has created the two kinds, male and female" (Sura al-Najm 53:45), and "O mankind, We have created you a male and female, and appointed you races and tribes, that you may know one another" (Sura al-Hujurat 49:13). God addresses His commands, interdictions and statutes to both sexes. After this brief treatment of the woman as a biological social being and as a character in the Qur anic stories, we would like to study woman as a believer in the Quran. The Quranic verses

dealing with woman as a believer constitute the basic element and foundation for her legislative and social position. As we shall see in the following chapters, this subject can be grasped by studying woman's status in comparison with man's in marriage, divorce, witnessing, inheritance, veiledness, and concubinage. Inequality between man and woman, at the expense of the woman, stands out clearly in these chapters, in spite of the attempts of zealous Muslims and European orientalists to explain the texts away. These attempts have often lead to the opposite of what the Quran means and what the ordinary Muslim understands. We will cite, whenever there are grounds, the opinions of the theologians and jurists who soften the meaning of both the Quran and the Hadith. Those concerned with the Quran and those who read it know well that the judgments mentioned in it concerning women form a good part of it. As it is known, the fourth sura is called "Women", and is one of the longer suras. But before looking into the legislative position of women, we would like to touch once again on the status of women in relation to men. Women's Image in Arabic Literature: The conceptions of Muhammad and the experts of Islamic fiqhhave influenced Arabic literature and shared in the formation of an "imaginative" picture of woman in literature. The reader may possibly ask if this topic is necessary. In fact, we are forced to quote what has been written about women in the writings of the Arab men of letters, because they have not lost any of their popularity, especially those that have been compiled during the Abbasid era and after. There is no escaping the study of such literature if one wants to present a realistic picture of women in Islam. Attributed to `Ali Ibn Abi Talib is the saying, "Woman is all evil; the most evil thing about her is that she is indispensable."As to the counsel of women, it is a sign of the hour of doom." "Woman is not in charge of anything that goes beyond herself; for woman is a sweet basil not a governess. She should not promise by her own honour, nor should you provoke her ambition by asking for the mediation of another [woman]. Never be jealous where jealousy is not proper." Al-Jahiz (d. 868) holds the same view as Muhammad regarding the deficiency of women's intelligence as he says, "We have seen women; they are weaker in mind than men, while children are weaker in mind than they are. They are also more stingy than women, and women are the weaker in mind in comparison with men. We do not know of anyone who is more wicked than a child: he is the worst liar, the worst gossip, the most evil of mankind, the least in doing good and the most cruel of all."The Ummayad poet al-Farazdaq compares women to serpents. He says, They are amiable with their husbands when they withdraw when they go out, they are like snakes. In al-Bayan wa al-tabyin, women are mentioned in the same section as imbeciles, mentally handicapped, and children.Ibn `Abd Rabbih quotes the following verses from `Ubada, considered to be the one who knew the most about women:

Ask me about women for I am knowledgeable and a doctor of the maladies that women cause. If a man's hair grows gray, or if his money decreases, he will have no part in their love. They desire wealth wherever it is found, and the prime of youth is irresistible for them. Ibn `Abd Rabbih is not satisfied with quoting the poems and tales of the Arabs, he also quotes from the proverbs of the prophets: "In the wisdom of David, peace be on him, it is said, 'I found among men one in a thousand, but I found none among all women.' "Yet, despite her deceit, unfaithfulness, and other reproachful qualities, women "and especially concubines", are a property that man cannot do without. In describing the ideal concubine, Caliph `Abd al-Malik Ibn Marwan (685-705 A.D.) said, "If you want one for pleasure, take a Berber woman, for bearing children take a Persian woman, if you need one for service take a Christian woman ["rumiyya": also, a Byzantine woman].We know also from the proverbs of literary writers that woman increases in evil in her old age, "They said that the end of man's life is better than its beginning; his patience increases, his resistance [to temptation] becomes stronger, his flame dies down, and his trade is made perfect. The end of women's life, though, is worse than its beginning; her beauty vanishes, her womb grows barren, and her morals deteriorate."As to her beauty, it is said, "A fair handmaid is coloured by the colour of the sun; in forenoon she is pale, and in the evening she is yellow." "Yet, mere beauty is not enough; she must also be smiling and patient, proud among her own folk and humble with her husband, and fruitful." "When someone wants to have a strong child, he should make her angry, and then have sex with her." So far we have examined the contents of old books that deal with women. It is natural to assume that Muslim scholars and writers nowadays hold other standards and conceptions about the "gentle sex", but the reality is disappointing. Abbas Mahmud al-Aqqad, who cannot be relegated to the fundamentalist circles, is considered an extremist in attacking and despising women. AlAqqad claims that his warped opinions of women are backed up by modern sciences, and he quotes Christian Ehrenfels' apology for polygamy: "Polygamy is necessary for the preservation of the Aryan stock." Al-Aqqad's opinion about women will be quoted in the coming chapters, but for now we will give al-Aqqad's "philosophical" analysis of the phenomenon of immodesty amongst women: "This modesty, which is enjoined on woman by morals, exists in women in proportion to how she feels about her husband and how he sees her. If women gather together far away from the eyes of men, they forget about modesty. Then they care for nothing that they would usually observe while they are still in the presence of men. The woman does not cover herself in the [public] bath, unless she has a defect or for fear that her peers and companions should compete with her." Now if we overlook the romances included in classical Arabic literature in which women appear perfectly equal to their lovers or husbands, we find that both classical and modern writers have a very negative picture of women. This discreditable and troubling issue has been criticised by the Islamic thinker Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (1838-1897 A.D.). The Egyptian writer Qasim Amin, who dedicated the better part of his life to the struggle against the wrong done to women, agreed. The issue of women, as Qasim Amin viewed it, was an issue of civilisation and a social problem

that needed to be solved, otherwise any progress in the Egyptian society would only be an unattainable dream. He said, "Women are equal to men, their miserable conditions are due to the injustice of men, who never gave them the chance to act in freedom and in the spirit of responsibility, but rather forced absolute ignorance upon them by all sorts of means." The root of this injustice is the ignorance of Muslim scholars of the nature of women. "It is so strange that scholars have outstripped one another in binding and fettering women through all the inhuman laws and ordinances they could imagine, as though she were a devil to be locked up. If fact, they were shamefully ignorant of her circumstances." Discrimination against Men: Men are discriminated against in the following points: 1. Men pay more taxes than women at the same income level. Tax provisions are not gender neutral. 2. Men are provided no protection against sexual harassment at workplace and against rape and seduction. 3. Men do not have the choice of vocation. He is expected to subordinate his preferences to the needs of others in the family. That is because he is always the provider to others at the cost of his own personality. He has to just slog. He lives and dies for others. He is forced to don the mantle of the breadwinner for the whole family (including the extended family upon marriage) or else face a social death. 4. Men are not allowed the luxury of being the master of their own destiny. 5. Men are not accepted by the society the way they are just normal human beings. He is reduced to the role of a robot the eternal protector and provider with no desires of his own! 6. Men are not provided with a free and un-choked communication channel a channel that listens to them without invalidating their feelings or ignoring or trivializing their problems. 7. No schemes are being furthered either by the Government or eminent social celebrities for boys the way they are happening for girls. This has led to more boys dropping out of school resulting in in crease of juvenile delinquency. Shunned by the society, such boys grow up with gross inadequacy and ultimately turn criminals. 8. There is no concept of MENs RIGHTS, only RESPONSIBILITIES and DUTIES enshrined for them! 9. 2007: 57593 married men committed suicide vis--vis 30064 married women in India.

10. If we look back, in the last 62 years of independent India not a single rupee has ever been allocated for mens welfare from the Union Budget. 11. Not a single constitutional or quasi-constitutional body has ever been formed to identify redress problems peculiar to men. 12. There's not a National Commission for Men nor Mens Welfare Ministry. 13. The numerous Anti-male and gender biased laws which are not gender-neutral. 14. Anti-male slant and negative stereotyping indulged in by media, television and films against men. 15. Negligence of health issues of men like prostate cancer, short life expectancy, high suicide rates, cardiac problems, diabetes etc. 16. Not a Single Attempt has ever been made to Recognize that Men Too Have Problems 17. Not a Single scheme ever been envisaged for Mens Welfare. 18. On the other hand men are always discriminated against in the guise of women empowerment. 19. Lack of government urge on the private sector to come up with Health Products specifically targeted to diseases affecting men in large numbers. 20. The World Economic Forum does not recognize men as human beings, because it doesn't conduct a study and publish Gender Index of Men similar to that of women.

Prostitutes & Hetairas:

Marriage as we have seen is directly correlated with prostitution which it has been said follows humanity from ancient to modern times like a dark shadow over the family, Man for reasons of prudence vows his wife to chastity but he is not himself satisfied with the regime imposed upon her. Montaigne tells us with approval. The kings of Persia were wont invite their wives to join them in their banquets but when the wine began to excite them in good earnest and they felt impelled to give the reins to sensuality they sent them away to their private apartments. That they might not take them partake of their immoderate lust and caused other women to come in their stead toward whom they did not feel such an obligation of respect. Sewers are necessary to guarantee the wholesomeness of palaces according to the fathers of the church. And it has often been remarked that the necessity exists of sacrificing one part of the female sex in order to save the other and prevent worse troubles. One of the arguments in support of slavery advanced by the American supporters of the institution was the southern whites being all freed from servile duties could maintain the most democratic and refined relations among themselves in the same way a caste of shameless women allows the honest women to be treated with the most chivalrous respect. The prostitute is a scapegoat man vents his turpitude upon her and he rejects her. Whether she is put legally under police supervision or works illegally in secret she is in any caste treated as pariah. Viewed from the standpoint of economics her position corresponds with the of the married woman. In La puberte Marro says: The only difference between woman who sell themselves in prostitution and those who sell themselves in marriage is in the price of the length of time the contract runs. For both the sexual act is a service the one is hired for life by one man the other has several clients who pay her by the piece. The one is protected by one male against all others the other is defended by all against the exclusive tyranny of each. In any case the benefits received in return for the giving their bodies are limited by existing competition the husband knows that he could have secured a different wife the performing of conjugal duties is not a personal favor, it is the fulfilling of a contract. In prostitution male desire can be satisfied on no matter what body such desire being specific but not individualized as to object. Neither wife nor hetaera succeeds in exploiting a man unless the legal wife oppressed as a married woman is respected as a human being this respect is beginning definitely to check the oppression So long as prostitutes is denied the rights of a person she sums up all the forms of feminine slavery at once. It is naive to wonder what motives drive woman to prostitution today we no longer accept Lombrosos theory that lumps prostitutes and criminals together and sees degenerates in both it may be as statistics show, that the mental level of prostitutes is slightly below the average and that some are definitely feeble minded for mentally retarded women would be likely to choose a profession that demands no special training but the majority are normal some highly intelligent. No fatal hereditary factor, no physiological defect weighs upon them. The truth is that in a world

where misery and unemployment prevail there will be to enter any profession that is open as especially as there occupations pay better than many others. It is pure hypocrisy to wonder at the supply that masculine demand stimulates that is simply the action of an elementary and all economic process of all the causes of prostitution. Wrote ParentDuchatelet in his report of 1857 none is more important than unemployment and the poverty inevitably resulting.

INDEX

 Introduction Gender Discrimination In India Gender Discrimination at work place Discrimination against women in India

Religion Vs Gender Equality Women In Hinduism Women In Judaism Islamic Prespective on Women Sigmund Freuds Prespective on Women