Role and Status of Women in Religion and Society

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction to women. 2. Status of women. 3. Female education. 4. History of feminism. 5. Women\'s social and political union. 6. Women in Hinduism. 7. Women in Buddhism. 8. Women in Islam. 9. Islamic feminism. 10. Women in Sikhism. 11. Women in Christianity. 12. Women in Judaism. 13. Jewish feminism. 14. Women in science. 15. Feminism and society. 16. Women in society. 17. Community. 18. Social actions. 19. Social contract. Index.

"The Indian women\'s position in the society further deteriorated during the medieval period when Sati, child marriages and a ban on widow remarriages became part of social life in India. The Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent brought the purdah practice in the Indian society. Among the Rajputs of Rajasthan, the Jauhar was practised. In some part of India, the Devadasis or the temple women were sexually exploited. Polygamy was widely practised especially among Hindu Kshatriya rulers. In many Muslim families, women were restricted to Zenan areas." (jacket)