Women

The place of women in Sikhism (the Religion) is a subject of very little discussion. This is because women have, without any condition or reservation (related to either form or function), exactly the same rights as men. The Guru Granth Sahib provides the blueprint for women's rights - it makes clear that equal rights of women are a fundamental part of Sikh doctrine.

Societies and cultures often do not respect radical moves that change established hierarchies and structures. The inequalities that are transparent in Sikh society are those imposed by indigenous and dominant cultures. It is unfortunate that Hindu culture that stresses many aspects of gender and caste inequality continues to influence the culture of Sikhs. The inequalities that exist in Sikh society include the preference of sons over daughters, the inheritance system that favours males, an educational system that is geared towards advancing boys, a family fabric unit that favours the decisions of the male, etc. Many people in western countries will also recognise these as problems in their society that are difficult to overcome. Increasingly, Sikh women are stressing their fundamental and inalienable rights, and are the better for it having achieved position of note in Sikh society. Many of these positions tend to be related to the arts rather than the exact sciences.

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