A very interesting article by Prof. Desmond Mallikarachchi appeared in your Midweek Review, on the tragic discrimination against women, This article should be read by Women’s’ Rights Activists, those who claim equal status with men. Although Prof. Desmond Mallikarachchi says "we should avoid getting caught up in this deplorable fate of womankind", it is useful to go back to find out how this oppression and discrimination came about, so that those in authority, could bring about an awareness of the fallacies created by past men of authority.

From ancient times, before the stone and iron ages, the man was the bread winner and the woman was always the assistant who, looked after the children of the husband. This traditional way of life had prompted writers as in the case of the Bible, to place women in the position of being an appendage to man. These teachings got so ingrained into the minds of men, that males took it as a religious right to be superior to women and women accepted it so. Even in marriage vows the woman has to declare on oath and promise to "love, cherish and obey her husband". It is heartening that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams has as reported in a Telegraph Group article in The Island of 4.11.06 says the word ‘OBEY’ will be dropped from the marriage vows.

This inferiority of women had come down the ages through religions, where religious leaders have been always Men, though women may have influenced them.

Adolf Hitler, during his regime, said of the women in society "Kirche, Kuche, Kinds" "Church, Kitchen, Children" to be the proper interests of German women.

What about Buddhism? Can any woman become a Buddha? From what I have heard in Bana preaching by Buddhist Monks, a woman could become a Buddha, if during her journey through Sansara, she accrues sufficient merit, to be finally born as a man and then attain Buddhahood.

This feeling of superiority of men over women, could only be erased by deleting the words discriminatory to women in religious texts, as this teaching is done in catechism classes from infancy and children grow up with that feeling.

Women activists, Women Organisations who fight against cruelty to women, should approach the religious heads, and obtain redress. Don’t allow the next generation to suffer!