The Vedas say that the main task of a woman is to help and support her husband, whose mission is to fulfill his duties and continue the traditions of the family. Women’s main role is to bear and raise children. As in all major world religions, in Hinduism the dominant position is assigned to a man. It is worth noting that in some times (as, for example, during the reign of the Guptas). Women worked as teachers, participated in debates and public discussions. However, such privileges were given only to women of high society.
Generally speaking, the Vedas place greater responsibility and obligations on the man and give the woman the role of a faithful companion on his path to the realization of goals. A woman received any recognition and respect from society in relation to herself as a daughter, mother or wife. This means that after the loss of her husband, the woman also lost her status in society and faced many difficulties. The scriptures forbid a man to treat his wife with disdain, and, moreover, with aggression. His duty is to protect and care for his woman, the mother of his children until the last day. A husband does not have the right to abandon his wife, since she is a gift from God, except in cases of mental illness, in which the wife is not able to care for and raise children, as well as in cases of adultery. The man also takes care of his elderly mother.
Women in Hinduism are regarded as the human embodiment of the Universal Mother, Shakti – pure energy. Traditions prescribe 4 permanent roles for a married woman:.
After the death of her husband, in some societies, the widow performed the rite of sati – suicide on the funeral pyre of her husband. This practice is currently prohibited. Other women who lost their breadwinner continued to live under the protection of their sons or close relatives. The severity and suffering of the widow were multiplied in the case of the young widow. The untimely death of a husband has always been associated with his wife. The husband’s relatives shifted the blame to the wife, who was believed to have brought misfortune to the house.
Historically, the position of women in India has been quite ambiguous. In theory, she had many privileges and enjoyed a noble status as a manifestation of the divine. In practice, however, most women lived the miserable life of serving their husbands. In the past, before independence, Hindu men could have more than one wife or mistress. The scriptures of the Hindu religion put the man at the center of the action. They say that a woman should not be anxious and exhausted, and the house in which a woman suffers will be deprived of peace and happiness. In the same vein, the Vedas prescribe many prohibitions that restrict the freedom of a woman. Generally speaking, the women of the lower castes had far greater freedom than those of the upper classes.
Today, the position of Indian women is changing significantly. The way of life of women in the cities is very different from the rural ones. Their position largely depends on the education and material condition of the family. Urban modern women face difficulties both professionally and in their personal lives, but life is definitely better for them than before. The number of love marriages is on the rise, and widows now have the right to life and can even remarry. However, a woman in Hinduism has a long way to go to achieve equality with a man. Unfortunately, they are still subject to violence, cruelty and rudeness, as well as gender-based abortions.