Does Indian culture promote supressing women?
Actually, if you look deep into our history and books, this criticism is a big distortion. Let us look at the reality.
The Real Original Thinking
If you check the core philosophy of Indian culture, you will find something very surprising. No other culture in the world has kept the feminine (women) on such a high pedestal.
God is Half Woman: We worship Lord Shiva as Ardhanarishvara. This form shows God as half man and half woman. It simply means that reality is incomplete without the feminine aspect. You cannot have one without the other.
Power is Female: In our culture, power is called Shakti. And Shakti is a Goddess. There is a saying that without Shakti, Shiva becomes Shava (a corpse). Even the Supreme God cannot move without the female energy. There is a whole major branch of Hinduism called Shaktism (the followers are called Shaktas). For them, the Supreme God is not a "He," but a "She." In texts like the Devi Bhagavatam, the Goddess is the highest power. It says that She is the one who created even the Trinity—Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. She is the mother of the universe and is above all male gods.
Kamakhya and the 64 Yoginis: If you think our culture hides female power or biology, look at the Kamakhya Temple in Assam. Here, we worship the menstruating Goddess. The temple celebrates the biological power of a woman to create life, which is considered taboo in many other places. Also, we have ancient temples of the 64 Yoginis. These are powerful female figures who are independent, fierce, and magical. They do not stand behind any husband; they stand alone in their power, showing that a woman does not need a man to be complete.
Purusha and Prakriti: Our philosophy explains reality using two words: Purusha (Spirit) and Prakriti (Nature). Purusha is the male aspect, but he is just a silent witness. He is passive. Prakriti is the female aspect, and she is the active force that creates everything. Without the feminine action, the masculine spirit is unable to create anything.
Karma is Gender neutral: The law of Karma is purely based on action, not biology. It does not care if you are a man or a woman. In our ancient history, women became Rishis (Rishikas) like Gargi and Maitreyi because of their intense spiritual practice (Tapasya) and good Karma. Their high status proves that spiritual achievement was based on merit, not gender. If the system was truly chauvinistic, women would never have been allowed to reach such heights based on their Karma alone.
Then women are restricted in some temples
Another big confusion is about why women are not allowed in certain temples. People instantly call this discrimination, but we are missing the point of how temples work. Sometime back there were huge protests etc around shabarimala etc. According to me , they are done purely with political intention and to malign Indian culture.
A temple is not just a prayer hall; it is an energy center built for a specific purpose. Just like the Kamakhya Temple is built around the "Theme" of the menstruating Goddess (celebrating female biology), there are other temples built around specific masculine vows (like Brahmacharya or celibacy).
Think of it simply: In a gym or a public place, we have separate changing rooms for men and women. If a man is stopped from entering a woman's changing room, is it discrimination? No. It is just a rule based on the nature of that space. Similarly, some temples are "prayer rooms" designed for a specific male energy process, while others (like the Attukal Pongala festival) are exclusively for women. Fighting to enter a temple that is designed for a male energy process is as meaningless as fighting to enter a men's changing room in the name of equality. It has nothing to do with the "Rights of Women" or superiority. It is simply about respecting the diversity of spiritual traditions.
Forgotten Traditions: When Women Had the Choice
We often think ancient women had no voice, but look at these specific traditions that show they had rights even modern women struggle for:
Swayamvara (The Right to Choose): In our greatest epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, princesses like Sita, Draupadi, and Damayanti were not forced into arranged marriages. They had the right of Swayamvara (Self-Choice). The greatest kings would line up, and the woman had the final power to put the garland on the man she chose. This shows that the woman’s consent was the most important thing in marriage.
The Logic of Duty and Devotion
A big criticism we hear is about Pativratyam (devotion to the husband) and the strict roles for women. Was this just a trick to make women slaves? No, if we look at the original logic, it was about Survival and Teamwork.
In ancient times, life was very hard. To survive, a family needed a division of labor. One person had to go out, face wars and heat to earn resources (Outer Duty). The other had to manage the home, culture, and the next generation (Inner Duty). This was not about who is superior. It was a partnership. The man was the Minister of External Affairs, and the woman was the Minister of Home Affairs (Grihalakshmi).
In this system, Pativratyam was about total focus on one's duty to the partner. It was considered a source of immense power, not weakness. Legends like Savitri (who defeated Death) and Anusuya (who commanded the Trinity) show that this focused devotion gave women power over the Gods themselves.
We often forget that for every ideal of Pativratyam, there was the ideal of Eka-patni-vrata (devotion to one wife). Lord Rama is worshipped because he remained loyal to Sita alone. The original contract was mutual loyalty. The problem started when we made this a "One-Way Traffic." We began valuing the money-earner (men) more than the home-maker (women). We forced devotion only on women while letting men do whatever they wanted. That inequality is a social corruption, not the original intent of the partnership.
The Broader Indian Culture
If we look at wider Indian culture as a whole, the argument for male chauvinism falls apart even more.
In vast parts of India, like among the Nairs of Kerala or the Khasi tribes of Meghalaya, the family line runs through the mother, not the father. In these ancient Indian cultures, women inherit the property, and children take the mother's name. This proves that "Indian Culture" naturally includes systems where women are the head of the family.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji famously challenged the society of his time, asking, "So kyon manda aakhiye jit jammeh rajan?"—meaning, "Why call her inferior who gives birth to kings?" The Gurus banned the Purdah system and Sati centuries before modern laws existed.
We often talk about warrior queens like Rani Lakshmi Bai, but look at Ahilyabai Holkar. She was not just a fighter; she was one of the greatest administrators India ever saw. She built temples, managed the economy, and dispensed justice. She proved that in Indian culture, a woman could be a supreme ruler and a wise judge, not just a wife or mother.
Deformity in Later Scripts from original vedas
To understand why we are confused today, we must look at the difference between the eternal texts (Shruti) ie vedas and the social rules (Smriti).
Shruti means "that which is heard" (Vedas and Upanishads). These texts are completely gender-neutral. They focus on the Atman (Soul). The Vedas clearly say that the Soul has no gender. It is pure consciousness. Whether you are in a male body or a female body, the spirit inside is exactly the same.
In the Vedic period, there was no restriction on women studying the scriptures. Women underwent the Upanayana ceremony and wore the Yagyopavita (sacred thread) just like men. Ancient texts actually categorized women into two types based on their education:
Brahmavadinis: These were women who dedicated their whole life to learning the Vedas and theology. They often remained unmarried or married very late to focus purely on knowledge.
Sadyodvyahas: These were women who studied the Vedas until they got married (usually around age 15-16). They wore the sacred thread during their student life.
How the British "Weaponized" Our Laws (The Colonial Trap)
One major reason why our laws became so rigid against women and elevated manu smriti is actually the British colonial rule. It wasn't just a mistake; it was a strategy.
The Fluid Law (Desh-achar): Before the British came, Hindu law was not just one single book. It was based on Desh-achar (local custom). In many places, like Kerala (Marumakkathayam system), women inherited property and had huge freedom. The law was flexible and changed from village to village.
The Calculated Choice of Manu: The British didn't just stumble upon the Manusmriti; they hunted for a text that would help them control India. They wanted a single, rigid "Code" like their own Bible. Even though Manusmriti was largely outdated and ignored by most Indians at the time, the British resurrected it. Why? Because a rigid, hierarchical society is easier to rule than a flexible, diverse one. They took a dead book and forced it down the throat of a living culture.
The most sinister motive was pure greed. The British introduced the Doctrine of Lapse, which stated that if a kingdom didn't have a natural male heir, the British would steal that kingdom. They refused to recognize ruling queens or adopted sons. To justify stealing kingdoms like Jhansi, they needed a legal reason to say "Women cannot rule" and "Adopted sons are invalid." The Manusmriti gave them that excuse. They promoted male chauvinism not because they believed in it, but because it allowed them to annex billions of dollars worth of Indian territory.
By making these rigid rules the "Law of the Land," they destroyed the local freedoms women enjoyed. They "froze" the harshest interpretation of Hindu law to serve their own pockets.
To be frank, we cannot just blame the British. There was a selfish section within Indian society—greedy landlords and opportunists—who happily supported these British laws. They used the colonial "male heir" rule to grab property from widows and female relatives. They supported the British without having any idea (or care) how badly they were corrupting the soul of their own society for short-term gain.
The Evolution of Modern Law
In recent times post british, the legal landscape in India has changed drastically. The government realized that old social customs had become too oppressive, so they brought in powerful laws to protect women.
The original aim was noble. It was to uproot the deep habits of suppression and wrong social practices that had been "imbibed" into society over centuries. Laws against dowry and domestic violence were necessary shields given to women to fight back against genuine injustice.
But recently, we are seeing a new problem. These laws, which were meant to be shields, are sometimes used as swords. There is a growing debate that these protections are creating an unfair advantage in certain cases, where they are wrongly taken advantage of to harass innocent men and their families.
Finding the Balance: This does not mean the laws are bad; it means society is still struggling to find the center. We moved from an era of silence to an era of strict legal action. The ultimate goal of Dharma is not to favor one gender over the other, but to establish Nyaya (Justice) where truth prevails, regardless of gender.
The Evidence of Flourishing
Even now if you are not convinced on logic. Here are the numbers for you to understand.
Often, the West criticizes India for being "backward." But if we look at the timeline of Indian history, we see a continuous tradition of women flourishing in every field—spiritual, political, and modern.
The Ancient Researchers (Rishikas & Yoginis): In ancient India, women were not just followers; they were researchers of truth. We had women Rishis (Rishikas) like Gargi and Maitreyi who wrote parts of the Vedas and debated philosophy. We also had the Yoginis, female masters of Tantra and Yoga, who were revered for their intense knowledge and spiritual power.
The Warrior Queens: While Europe was burning women as witches, India was being ruled by powerful queens.
- Rudrama Devi: The Kakatiya queen who ruled like a King, wearing male attire and leading armies.
- Ahilyabai Holkar: One of the greatest administrators in history. She did not just sit on a throne; she built temples across India, managed the economy, and dispensed justice personally.
- Rani Lakshmi Bai: The symbol of bravery who fought the British empire face-to-face.
Modern Political Giants: The United States has never had a female President in 250 years. India elected a powerful female Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, decades ago. We have had female Presidents like Pratibha Patil and Droupadi Murmu, and strong Chief Ministers like Jayalalithaa and Mamata Banerjee.
Leading the Skies: Here is a shocking modern fact: India has the highest percentage of female pilots in the world! About 15% of Indian pilots are women (global average is only 5%). In a field that is technical and tough, Indian women are beating the rest of the world.
STEM & Corporate Power: In Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), India produces a higher percentage of female graduates (approx 43%) compared to the US and UK. Major Indian banks (SBI, ICICI, Axis) have all been led by women CEOs. India representation in Senior Management is 36.5% higher than west - Global Avg (33%), UK (35%), US(32%). According to the Grant Thornton Women in Business Report 2025, India’s mid-market businesses are agile in promoting women, often faster than large Western conglomerates. Notably, nearly 50% of CFOs in the surveyed Indian mid-market sector are women, a figure far higher than the global average
Grassroots Revolution: It is not just at the top. In our villages, we have 33% to 50% reservation for women in Panchayats. This has created over 1.4 million elected female leaders at the village level. This is the largest experiment in grassroots democracy in the world.
Does This Mean Everything is Perfect?
No, absolutely not. We are not saying India is a paradise where no crime happens. There are genuine problems to be addressed. Women do face pressure of unreasonable extra responsibility, harassment and safety issues, and we must work hard to fix them. In my other article, I explained what are the real problems in details and also talked about why the narrative is often distorted. Read the full reality check here: Is India Really Unsafe for Women?What We Should Do Now
Finally, we must understand one crucial thing: We are fighting societal deformities, not the culture itself. Some people declare a "War on Culture," thinking that destroying Indian traditions will liberate women. This will have a devastating effect. Why? Because the base culture is actually the protective layer, not the root cause.
Deformities vs. Protection: The problems (dowry, violence, suppression) are deformities that crept up like dust on a mirror. The culture (Shakti, Sahadharmini, the Mother Goddess) is the mirror itself.
Don't Break the Shield: If we destroy our base culture, we destroy the biggest shield women have the philosophy that sees them as Divine Power.
The Right Cure: We need to perform surgery to remove the deformities (bad social habits) while keeping the body (the protective culture) healthy. We need to bring back the Right Cultural Additions the respect and equality that were originally there rather than amputating the culture itself.
We need to stop defending male chauvinism by saying "it is our tradition." No, that is not our tradition. That is a corruption of tradition. Let us reclaim the true culture where Shakti is respected, not suppressed.
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