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Topic: Gender Equality

When we speak of gender equality the first image that naturally crops up in my mind is that of Ardhanarishwar. Nothing conveys the concept of equality between man and woman better than Shiv and Shakti uniting as Ardhanishwar. 1/14

This form signifies more than just a unity between the masculine and feminine. It shows us that men and women do not compete with but complement and complete each other. 2/14

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Life doesn't exist in the absence of any one of these two complementary forces. 3/14

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In simple terms, the relationship between the two is like that of the wick & oil in a diya or electricity & bulb/tube light; one cannot exist in the absence of the other. 4/14

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Ardhanarishwar also points out that the physical features of man and woman are different and it is this difference that spawns life. 5/14

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When this difference is celebrated the spirit of competition and one-upmanship vanishes. Men and women have been endowed with particular physical features to ensure that the life- cycle of nature functions smoothly. 6/14

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It has become fashionable today to say "what you can do, I can do better" rather than "let us do this together". 7/14

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Traditionally, however, men and women were afforded equal status in society. The testimony to this lies in Hindu wedding vows which begins by saying "Let us walk together, hand in hand" (Saptapadi Mantra). 8/14

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Equality does not stem from the fact that men and women are the same but from the fact that men and women are different but equal like the two sides of a balancing scale. 9/14

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Problems crop up when law favors one side or society puts one gender above the other. 10/14

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The only way to equality is by ensuring that each individual is treated as a 'human' and acknowledging that none is superior or inferior to the other. 11/14

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Equality is achieved when 'us' substitutes you and/or me. 12/14

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Equality doesn't mean giving one gender preference over the other but rather by giving equal importance to both. 13/14

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All questions of equality & inequality dissolve the moment we acknowledge the complementary roles of males & females instead of pitting one against the other. 14/14

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