Jainism is a religion that began in ancient India. The founder, Vardhamanak known as Mahavira, founded the religion between 7th and 5th centuries BCE. The core belief in Jainism is ahimsa, or no injury to any living being. While the religion doesn’t adhere to the idea of a god as creator, they do acknowledge lesser gods in dealing with certain aspects of daily life.

The three most important factors for attaining liberation are conduct, knowledge and faith. In order to perfect these three aspects, one must follow five simple rules. Ahisma means non-violence towards all living beings. Secondly, Satya is truth. Achaurya or Asteya means non-stealing, or not taking anything that isn’t given freely. The fourth rule is chastity, the denial of sexual pleasure. Finally, there is Aparigraha, which means non-attachment to other people and material possessions.

Although the religion is dedicated to equality in many ways, women face several difficulties in attaining liberation in the Jainism religion. In fact, the Digambara sect of the religion believes women must be reborn as men before they can true deliverance. Another sect, the Svetambara, disagrees with this theory.

Mahavira’s life shows followers of the religion how to obtain perfection. One of the examples he set for monks to follow was complete nudity. However, women are banned from being nude in public. The belief is that if women go without clothing, men will experience sexual desires, thus diverting them from divine liberation. In turn, women would feel ashamed, and they would also be denied holy deliverance.

Women are believed to be harmful by nature. Their menstrual blood is considered to be impure in several important Jain texts. The bleeding that occurs in menstruation is thought to kill micro-organisms in the body, making the female body less non-violent than the male body.

Finally, members of the female sex are obliged to take care of children and other dependents such as the aged. Because the women do this, they form earthly attachments to these people. If she can’t break free from those attachments, she will never be able to be truly free from earthly bonds.

In conclusion, although Jainism is considered a religion of equal rights, women are largely unable to become liberated themselves. The very femininity of females is a deterrent to their religious freedom. Women do have an important role, however, in allowing men to become perfected more easily.

References:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/jainism/beliefs/women.shtml

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, 2006