Hinduism Gender Roles

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Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, but what makes it extremely special is that some argue that the it can not be considered a religion at all due to the vast amounts of beliefs within the religion. It has hundreds of different traditions, rituals, and practices that make up the entire Hindu community. This essay will try to break down the complicated religion by looking at its popular gender roles. First, I will summarize the religion and explain a basis that fits within each segment of the Hindu culture. Second, I will describe their position on gender roles. Third, I will go into greater detail about gender roles by describing the marriage process. I will argue why this process needs to change in order to protect women and their …show more content…

It started in India, and now has spread across the world. It currently has around nine hundred million followers. (Hinduism p. 122) Because of the many different regions that the religion has spread and the huge amount of time it has had to change, many different forms of the religion have been created. “Considering the large number of religions and types of religion, Hinduism as a whole can scarcely be termed a ‘religion.’ It is more of a ‘civilization’- and indeed an extraordinary tolerant civilization, in which it was possible for number of religions to coexists in peace for hundreds of years.” (Hinduism p. 125) It would take weeks to describe all of the many different segments of the religion. However, there are “popular” beliefs that can help describe what is …show more content…

One central believe that the followers of Hinduism believe in is Dharma. They think that they are given their duty from birth and it is up to them to do what the gods have given them. The duty of women is to get married, have babies, teach religion, and please their husbands. “It was commended that the woman must never be independent; she must be subjected to the control of her father, husband, and sons or a brother if necessary. She, in turn, must not leave them, must be clever both in the management of household affairs and in cleaning her utensils.” (Rahim p. 197) This duty suppresses women and treats them as a weaker sex. Women should have the right to do what they want with their bodies and with their minds. If the Hindu society wants to flourish, then they need to give equal opportunities to both sexes. A huge step that the community can make is to get rid of the dowry custom. This tradition discourages families from wanting daughters. It gives men wealth and power, while crippling women and their families. Getting rid of the dowry can be the first huge step in making women and men equal. There is a romantic quality to the Hindu belief that men and women are married together over each lifetime that they have. It is a belief that expresses that love lasts forever, and it is one that is pure and beautiful. This idea can become pure and beautiful again if the Hindu society

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