Religious Freedom and Gender justice: Women Entry Issues in Sabarimala Temple Rajagopal. PK. Assistant Professor, PG Department of Political Science, NSS Hindu College, Changanacherry, kottayam ,District, Kerala
Religious Freedom and Gender justice: Women Entry Issues in Sabarimala Temple Rajagopal. PK. Assistant Professor, PG Department of Political Science, NSS Hindu College, Changanacherry, Kottayam , District, Kerala ABSTRACT Gender equality and gender justice are the features of an egalitarian political system. Gender equality is meaningless without gender justice and discrimination on the basis of gender which is a violation of basic human rights. Twenty-five year-long legal battle on this issue has created concern among the Hindu devotees including women. In fact, the issue has two sides. In a human rights perspective, it is a violation of the basic principles of gender equality, gender justice and natural justice. On the other hand, the entry of womenfolk is not fully restricted in Sabarimala temple. Thousands of women devotees visit the shrine every year. Moreover, the entry of women in a particular shrine is not a means of gender equality or a matter of empowerm...