Equality of gender:

Without doubt, universally across all societies, male dominated and set limits to what a woman can aspire to. It is the pet belief of some that ancient Hindu society stood apart, judging from the concept of a female god that symbolized power and some female protagonists in Vedanta. That is not true anyway as the role of woman in society is what counts and a woman did not have the same status as a man. Education was shut to women and as early as the days of the dramatists like Bhasa (pre-Christian), the dialect used for female characters is Prakritam while men will have dialogues in Samskritam.
The idea that two things are not equal introduces the idea that one must be superior to another. But, it may be fallacious.
Functionally at least in biology the two genders have complementary roles and the roles carry certain physical features in-built that differentiate the genders. That is the work of nature and nature cannot be held to have had a positive or negative bias in so evolving their roles and features.
Apart from biological uniqueness, certain characteristics and hence corresponding abilities also differ. Ideally, the roles of man and woman should be so devised as to harness their different abilities optimally. But, as male dominated society has shown, vested interests disable efficient distribution of resources.
The popular belief that a female is weaker is overdone. Females live longer and are generally the stronger. Strength does not mean capacity to overpower physically.
Equality is catchy, but a hollow goal. Suppression must go, but at no time the two genders can become equal in the world that we experience.

January 11, 2017
I came upon this since writing on gender equality:
"There were no unhealthy restrictions upon Hindu women in those days, no rules to keep them secluded or debarred from their legitimate place in society. A girl generally selected her own husband, but her parents' wishes were for the most part respected. We have frequent allusions to careful and industrious wives who superintended the arrangements of the house, and, like the dawn, roused every one in the morning and sent him to his work. Girls who remained unmarried obtained a share in the paternal property. Widows could re-marry after the death of their husbands."
Ancient India by Romesh Chunder Dutt


In response to a question, Cho answers, “What right has been denied to women? It is talk from the dais, to showcase that the speaker only is broadminded. I do not think any right has been denied to women.”
Truth is not firmly behind Cho.


Further thoughts:
Why only in music, in sports also there is gender difference officially. We cannot have a man vs woman tennis match. It will be uneven. We have separate cricket matches for men and women and other sports.
In manual work also, a man gets paid more.
How far is gender important in music? I do not know, but I feel that there is marked difference and that it will not go away over time in the ordinary course. That does not mean that one is better than the other. As I said I like female voices more than male voices. Connoisseurs must be able to choose irrespective of gender based on the quality of music offered.

Bhavan’s Journal Aug 15 (Women’s issue)
“The point is why should a woman be like a man? Why not enjoy being a woman, right from dressing up colourfully, in feminine albeit complicated clothes, and keep our emotions transparent?
That’s the way we are wired – blame it on biology or on genetic imprinting for aeons! Why compete with men? Our world is so beautiful, with all the sensitivity, warmth, and comfort we bring into lives of others. True, life cannot be looked at in such simplistic fashion; but why fight being essentially feminine? Let’s not be a complement, supplement, or even an equal to men.
After all, aren’t some more equal than others?”
Jyoti Raghuram, Asst. Editor.me a wreck as the stress stories of today indicate.
7/5/18

Woman in society

Man vs Woman has been an on-going issue, as an undercurrent if not as a headline.
I recall Kalyanasundaranar making a pious poetic line ‘மாதராகப் பிறந்திடவே மாதவம் செய்திட வேண்டுமம்மா’ (To be born as a woman one must have done great penance). The fact is he had to say it since that was not in the ethos of the society. The saying ‘यत्र नार्यस्तु पूज्यन्ते रमन्ते तत्र देवता:। (Where ladies are honoured, there devas are pleased)’ also is a platitude.
Woman has been treated with condescension by the man-organised society. She is said to be the ‘fair sex’, but man is not called ‘unfair sex’ as far as I know! She is the weaker sex, but man is not the stronger sex! She becomes a ‘better half’, but man is not described as ‘worse half’ though the jokes seem to suggest so!

What is womanhood? In Tamizh, we have four qualities that define a woman. அச்சம் (Fear), நாணம் (Coyness), மடைமை (Foolishness literally; Not volunteering to speak in an assembly), பயிர்ப்பு (Shrinking from what is mean or vile).
(There are four qualities for man: அறிவு knowledge, நிறை good conduct, ஓர்ப்பு good judgment, கடைப்பிடி following what one has learnt as good).
Look at the greed of man as to what he expects a wife to be:
कार्येषु दासी करणेषु मन्त्री भोज्येषु माता शयनेषु रम्भा ।
धर्मानुकूला क्षमया धरित्री भार्या च षाड्गुण्यवतीह दुर्लभा ॥
1) Slave for work; 2) Counsellor in action; 3) Mother in feeding;
4) Ramba in bed; 5) Lakshmi in looks; 6 Earth in patience
It also says it is difficult to find one like that. Naturally.

A woman becomes exalted as a mother. A woman as a mother is a different person altogether. Nature has made her a loving custodian of the progeny. It is as though the progeny are a projection of her. Her love to them flows from infancy and that is what binds a family and even humanity. It is common with other species, but its longevity like human longevity is more. I would go to the extent of saying that a woman who does not want to become a mother is unnatural.