Spirituality can end gender discrimination

Discrimination in any form is against the law of nature. Everybody in this world is created equal and hence, must be treated equally and have equal access to all the resources. Any discrimination, be it on the basis of race, caste, religion or gender, needs to be abolished to ensure equal opportunities.

Despite concerted efforts for several years, discrimination against women continues to exist in almost all societies though the form and extent may vary. More than anything else, it's the lack of ethics, morality and human values that leads to discrimination against women. Certain religious traditions also deny women the equal status. Socio-economic backwardness and lack of education also lead to discrimination against women. In addition, there are other compulsive circumstances such family responsibilities and raring of children that deny women equal opportunities.

We need to work towards abolishing all social, legal, cultural, or religious practices by which women are discriminated against. At the same time, we need to ensure that the movement to end discrimination against women itself doesn't put a strain on the life of the woman. Pushing women to certain jobs which involve hard physical labour such as working in the mines or driving locomotive engine in the name of gender equality will amount to injustice rather than emancipation.

The physiological and biological make-up of a woman's body is different from that of a man. Hence, there are certain activities that will remain exclusive to one gender or the other. This should not be perceived as discrimination.

In India, the status of women is traditionally held higher than that
of man. Before the Mogul invasion, women enjoyed equal status as men. In Hindu mythology, all male gods — Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara — are considered descendents of the Mother Divine. Knowledge, wealth and power are all considered to be feminine and Saraswati, Lakshmi and Durga are worshiped as their protectors. Even the three primordial qualities that make up the universe are considered feminine. And it's to the Mother Divine that we pray to harmonise these three qualities that govern our lives.

According to ancient Vedic texts, God is neither male nor female. Ancient Vedic scientists always addressed God as it (Brahman), which is beyond gender. The concept of Ardha Nareeshwara that sees God as half male and half female, as a combination of Shiva and Shakti, is a profound depiction of gender equality. Every human being is made up of both male and female; hence everyone is half male and half female. Though there are social practices that discriminate against women, religion doesn't sanction it.   

The need of the hour is to create awareness about the religious virtues of gender equality. If there are any religious injunctions that contradict the message of gender equality, they need to be reinterpreted. Women need to be educated about their religious and political rights. Zealots who promote gender inequality without any reason need to be reined in.

To end the discriminatory practices, we need to spiritualise the social system. In the realm of spirituality, there is no differentiation on the basis of caste, creed, religion and gender. When we educate people in spirituality, gender equality naturally ensues.