Gender Roles In Sikhism

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In today’s society, there are many gender inequalities that take place. Regardless of religion or social culture in South Asia, the society is mostly male dominated where the lives of women are decided by the men in their lives, whether it would be there father, brother, husband, or a priest. Sikhism is a religion believing in the equality between men and women; however, in today’s Sikh society, there are particular gender roles influencing Sikh culture that defies religious beliefs. We will be discussing the general restrictions on women’s participation at the Harmandir Sahib, the definition of Seva and linking it to Guru Nanak, restrictions on women performing Seva there, and the protest against these restrictions, the original egalitarianism …show more content…
An example would be a case study found regarding the Harmandir Sahib (the golden temple) in India. The Harmandir Sahib is a temple located in Amritsar, Punjab, and it is the most visited temple in the world (Jhutti-Johal, 2011). People from all over the world visit this temple as it is the main place of worship for Sikhs (Jhutti-Johal, 2011). Although this temple is well known, there are inequalities between both genders associated with performing Seva. Sikh women are not allowed to partake in religious activities such as reading the sacred scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, play kirtan (recite hymns), or perform Seva (communal volunteering) in the main hall of the congregation (sanctum santorum), and only men are entitled to perform these services (Jhutti-Johal, 2011). In the gurdwara, both orthodox and non-orthodox Sikh women, also known as amritdhari and non-amritdhari, are not allowed to trail behind the palki (palanquin), nor are they allowed to follow it from afar, instead, men request the women to move out of the way and stand by the incoming and outgoing paths of the hallway (Jhutti-Johal, 2011). The term palki means refers a palanquin that the Guru Granth Sahib is carried in, along with a four post canopy that men carry into the room that the holy book resides in (Jakobh, 2006). What further aggravates this issue, is that non-orthodox men are allowed to follow the Palki into the room, orthodox women are not allowed to step beyond the entrance (Jhutti-Johal, 2011). It seems unfair how a woman completely devoted to seeking oneness with God by being baptized and is not valued the same as orthodox men, nevertheless even unorthodox men. It questions the Punjabi society to why these rules are set in the first
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