Women: Gender equality or inequality

What do you think about gender equality? Does woman has equal rights with man?
This article is written to unveil the truth behind women's right in different religion.


Buddhism

In Buddhism, it is preached of equality. In the Sutra of Complete Enlightenment, it is said that all sentient beings are to be Buddha by nature. Attaining enlightenment and becoming a Buddha is merely understanding the way of the nature and universe.

Thus, in Buddhism, man and woman are equal in nature. However, in practical, they are not the same. Down to the fundamentals, physically and emotionally, they are different. The question is, how there can be equality then?

Men are physically stronger, therefore they have the responsibility of hard work and earning for the family. Women on the other hand, are much detailed and caring, therefore they hold the responsibility of taking care of the family. Their status are equal but responsibilities are different.

There is parable in the Lotus Sutra. A 8 year old female dragon (female i.e. woman and in the animal realm), who was wise and sharp, listened to the dhama preached by Buddha. She attained enlightenment and achieve Buddhahood when she presented a jewl to Buddha as an offering there and then. Some attendees of the dharma talk disbelieved and were unhappy about her achievement.

They questioned of her capability of attaining Buddhahood. Being a woman, and being a child, it is impossible to attain Buddhahood at the blink of an eye while Buddha had been through many eons of cultivation before attaining enlightenment. Bodhisattva Manjusri explained the equality of man and woman on the path of Buddhahood as to preach to Sariputta who was having an unequal mind and discrimination on woman. The dragon girl in the end proved her enlightenment by transforming into a boy and left on a lotus to other world.


Christianity

With the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in the occidental countries, women are treated equally and given voting rights etc.

However, in the bible, I would say it to be a little male-oriented. I would like to clarify that the bible and teachings might be suitable for the culture during those era while the fundamental of doing good still remains the same (e.g. Worship one God, love your neighbors, honor your parents etc).

Some verse actually suggest that women are inferior to men.

Leviticus 12:1-5
Giving birth of a boy causes the mother to be unclean for seven days while given birth to a girl makes her unclean for two weeks.

1Cor 14:34-35
It is disgraceful for woman to speak in the church.

1Timothy 2:11-14
It calls for women to be submissive to man and put the blame of eating the forbidden fruit on Eve alone.


Islam

However in Islam, we are often mislead by the media with perception of Islam equals terror, abusing women and polygamous.

With an open mind, if we look into the message brought by Prophet Muhammad and the prophets conduct as role model, Islam is a religion of peace and treats women with high respect and gave them equal rights.

In the 114 books of the holy Quran, there is book named "Women" (Surah 4- An-Nisa). A chapter in the book dedicated to women!

In this book, it tells the men to respect women as they are created equal in the eyes of God.
Rather than blaming Eve for the deceit (Genesis 3:12) and God punished the Eve first (Genesis 3:16), the Quran (Surah 7:23) tells us that both Adam and Eve repented and asked for forgiveness from God. They are equally responsible for disobeying God.

In Islam, women shares equal rights as men. They are to inherit an equal share of properties left by their parents, sharing among sons and daughters. Men are made to be the protectors and maintainers of women (Surah 4:34).

Contrary to the bible saying women should be silent, women opinions are as important as men. Surah 4:19 tells us that men are forbidden to inherit women against their will (meaning women have a say!) and should not treat them with harshness.

About the Mother of Jesus, Islam had given the highest utmost respect to women. Surah 3:42 says that Allah has chosen Mary, purified Mary, and chosen her above the women of all nation. Such great respect was not mentioned in the bible. Furthermore, a chapter in the Quran (Surah 19- Maryam) was named after the mother of Jesus, dedicating it to the mother of a powerful messenger of God.

Many claims that Islam is a religion where polygamy is allowed. Yes it is.
Surah 4:3 says that men can marry women of their choice, two or three, or four.
However, the revelation given is not because of lust of men, but the responsibility given to men to take care of women who are of the weaker sex. Furthermore, Islam is the only religion, in its holy book, stating that if a man are not able to deal justly between his wives, he should only marry ONE.

It is argued that Prophet Muhammad had 13 wives and suing him to be lustful. However, Prophet Muhammad had only ONE wife and the married again after the death of his first wife (Khadijah) and had taken other wives for political reason to spread the gospel. Before Islam was spreaded, polygamy was normal and women are treated as items. If the Prophet really was lustful, he could had married more at his younger age, but he was faithful to his wife.

Abu Hurairah(RAA) reported that a man asked: "Messenger of Allah, who is most deserving of friendly care from me?" He replied: "Your mother" He asked who came next and he (the Prophet) replied: "Your mother." He asked who came next and he replied: "Your mother." He asked who came next and he replied: "Your father" (Bukhari and Muslim). Thus the Prophet(SAW) gave three times as much weight to the mother as to the father when it comes to good treatment from a child.

Mother (woman) is given so much respect in Islam.



As a conclusion, I would like to say that man and woman are EQUAL in the eye of God but DIFFERENT only in responsibility.

-Proper faith-