Women Are Not Second-Class Buddhists
GENDER INEQUALITY is difficult to rationalize in a tradition that supposedly proclaims enlightenment for all. When questioned by his faithful attendant Ananda, the Buddha assured him that women have equal potential to achieve the fruits of the path, including liberation, the ultimate realization. This definitive statement should have been sufficient to clear the path for women’s equality, but social realities rarely match theoretical ideals.
Even though countless women have reportedly achieved the ultimate goal of liberation—becoming s—women’s status has consistently been subordinate in Buddhist societies. Being born male automatically elevates a boy to first-class status, while being born female universally relegates a girl to
