If women become devotees, do they need to stick to their traditional roles? Can’t they have their own careers?

by Chaitanya CharanApril 8, 2012

When Srila Prabhupada says that women should always be protected by others – their fathers, their husbands or their sons, does that mean that women have no identity or career of their own? Does that mean women can’t have jobs and have their own sense of self-worth independent of men? Isn’t this likely to lead to suppression of women and domination by men?

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Chaitanya Charan
2 Comments
  • Mukul
    April 9, 2012 at 6:33 pm

    Very Insightful talk prabhuji.

    Thank you for taking out time from your busy schedule and giving these wonderful answers for our nurishment day after day, everyday.

  • administrator
    April 10, 2012 at 4:42 am

    Received by email from Manish Vithalani Prabhu:

    Dandvat!
    Prabhu, I heard the QA and found it a bit soft/mild. I have put my thoughts/ points below for your views on them.You have said most of these things but in a much milder/hidden way.
    The problem arises because motherhood is not seen as a career. In fact it is looked down upon. This feeling/anomaly is owing to the fact that it is not paid in cash but Kind.
    Nowadays working women pay insurance premiums so as to safeguard themselves against a possible scenario of living alone. In vedic times the insurance was the loving care of the child. Yes, you may get fat monthly premiums in the form of checks (this is not true in majority of the cases) but they are no substitutes for the love, attention and care received by you in your old age from your sons/daughters/grandsons/granddaughters.
    The vedic system was a thorough professional system where each individual was allotted a specific job and was carried out in perfection generally.
    A survey of highly professional women of the caliber of Madonna and the like was done about 3 to 4 years ago and they were asked for their choice between a housewife and a professional. A majority of them surprisingly chose the home over career. It was a case of gone there, seen it, done that.
    Also Prabhu, you mentioned the radical decision of the brahmacharis but this addition would have made it better – that they too were of meritious class and with high job prospects or with existing lucrative jobs.
    However, if someone still wants to try it then they need not look further. America and Europe are glaring and unfortunate examples of this failed experiment with colossal implications. The society has already borne it, is bearing and will pay very dearly in the immediate and long term.

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