GENDER EQUALITY IN SIKH FAITH

ABSTRACT

Generally women were and are considered low in society. Sikh Gurus encouraged women to actively and equally participate in society in worship and religious activities, and even on the battlefield. Guru Har Gobind Singh called women the conscience of man and Guru Gobind Singh gave initiation equally to both men and women. The teachings contained in AGGS speaks about gender equality but unfortunately the practice of the faith is quite different from the teachings contained therein the Holy Scripture. Here are few references in chronological order; Guru Nanak Siri Raag calls come on sisters let us sing together the praises of Immortal God:

ਆਵਹੁ ਭੈਣੇ ਗਲਿ ਮਿਲਹ ਅੰਕਿ ਸਹੇਲੜੀਆਹ ॥

ਮਿਲਿ ਕੈ ਕਰਹ ਕਹਾਣੀਆ ਸੰਮ੍ਰਥ ਕੰਤ ਕੀਆਹ ॥

ਸਾਚੇ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਸਭਿ ਗੁਣ ਅਉਗਣ ਸਭਿ ਅਸਾਹ ॥੧॥

Āvhu bẖaiṇe gal milah ank sahelṛī▫āh. Mil kai karah kahāṇī▫ā samrath kanṯ kī▫āh. Sācẖe sāhib sabẖ guṇ a▫ugaṇ sabẖ asāh. ||1||

Come, my dear sisters and spiritual companions; hug me close in your embrace. Let's join together, and tell stories of our All-powerful Husband God. All Virtues are in our True God and Master; we are utterly without virtue. ||1|| ------Guru Nanak, Siri Raag, AGGS, Page, 17-16

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Guru Nanak in Raag Asa advises not to call women bad as they give birth to kings and all:

ਭੰਡਿ ਜੰਮੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਨਿੰਮੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਮੰਗਣੁ ਵੀਆਹੁ ॥

ਭੰਡਹੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਭੰਡਹੁ ਚਲੈ ਰਾਹੁ ॥

ਭੰਡੁ ਮੁਆ ਭੰਡੁ ਭਾਲੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਬੰਧਾਨੁ ॥

ਸੋ ਕਿਉ ਮੰਦਾ ਆਖੀਐ ਜਿਤੁ ਜੰਮਹਿ ਰਾਜਾਨ ॥

ਭੰਡਹੁ ਹੀ ਭੰਡੁ ਊਪਜੈ ਭੰਡੈ ਬਾਝੁ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਭੰਡੈ ਬਾਹਰਾ ਏਕੋ ਸਚਾ ਸੋਇ ॥

ਜਿਤੁ ਮੁਖਿ ਸਦਾ ਸਾਲਾਹੀਐ ਭਾਗਾ ਰਤੀ ਚਾਰਿ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਤੇ ਮੁਖ ਊਜਲੇ ਤਿਤੁ ਸਚੈ ਦਰਬਾਰਿ ॥੨॥

Bẖand jammī▫ai bẖand nimmī▫ai bẖand mangaṇ vī▫āhu. Bẖandahu hovai ḏosṯī bẖandahu cẖalai rāhu. Bẖand mu▫ā bẖand bẖālī▫ai bẖand hovai banḏẖān. So ki▫o manḏā ākẖī▫ai jiṯ jamėh rājān. Bẖandahu hī bẖand ūpjai bẖandai bājẖ na ko▫e. Nānak bẖandai bāhrā eko sacẖā so▫e. Jiṯ mukẖ saḏā salāhī▫ai bẖāgā raṯī cẖār. Nānak ṯe mukẖ ūjle ṯiṯ sacẖai ḏarbār. ||2||

From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad?  From her, kings are born. From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all. O, Nanak, only the True God is without a woman. That mouth which praises the Immortal God continually is blessed and beautiful. O, Nanak, those faces shall be radiant in God’s True Court ||2||                                                                        -----Guru Nanak, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 473

Guru Amar Das advised banning of wives burning on the pyre of husbands and advised re-marriage for widows;

ਸਤੀਆ ਏਹਿ ਨ ਆਖੀਅਨਿ ਜੋ ਮੜਿਆ ਲਗਿ ਜਲੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਸਤੀਆ ਜਾਣੀਅਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ਜਿ ਬਿਰਹੇ ਚੋਟ ਮਰੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ॥੧॥

ਭੀ ਸੋ ਸਤੀਆ ਜਾਣੀਅਨਿ ਸੀਲ ਸੰਤੋਖਿ ਰਹੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ॥

ਸੇਵਨਿ ਸਾਈ ਆਪਣਾ ਨਿਤ ਉਠਿ ਸੰਮ੍ਹ੍ਹਾਲੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ॥੨॥

Saṯī▫ā ehi na ākẖī▫an jo maṛi▫ā lag jalaʼnniĥ. Nānak saṯī▫ā jāṇī▫aniĥ jė birhe cẖot maraʼnniĥ. ||1|| Bẖī so saṯī▫ā jāṇī▫an sīl sanṯokẖ rahaʼnniĥ. Sevan sā▫ī āpṇā niṯ uṯẖ samĥālaʼnniĥ. ||2||

Do not call them 'Satee', who burn themselves along with their husbands' corpses. They are also known as 'Satee', who abide in modesty and contentment. O Nanak, they alone are known as 'Satee', who die from the shock of separation. They serve their God, and rise in the early hours to contemplate. ||2||-----Guru Amar Das, Raag Suhi, AGGS, Page, 787-8, 9,10

Guru Amar Das in Gujri Ki Vaar praises the woman of noble birth who meets the true Guru;

ਜਿਸੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਉ ਪਵੈ ਸਾ ਕੁਲਵੰਤੀ ਨਾਰਿ ॥

ਸਾ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਪਛਾਣੈ ਕੰਤ ਕਾ ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਕ੍ਰਪਾ ਕੀਤੀ ਕਰਤਾਰਿ ॥

Jis saṯgur milai ṯis bẖa▫o pavai sā kulvanṯī nār. Sā hukam pacẖẖāṇai kanṯ kā jis no kirpā kīṯī karṯār.

She, who meets the True Guru, lives in the Fear of God; is a woman of noble birth. She alone realizes the order of her Husband God's Command, who is blessed by the Creator's Mercy.-----Guru Amar Das, Raag Gujri Ki Vaar, AGGS, Page, 516-9

Guru Amar Das in Raag Suhi again advises of equality in the hymns used at the weddings;

ਧਨ ਪਿਰੁ ਏਹਿ ਨ ਆਖੀਅਨਿ ਬਹਨਿ ਇਕਠੇ ਹੋਇ ॥

ਏਕ ਜੋਤਿ ਦੁਇ ਮੂਰਤੀ ਧਨ ਪਿਰੁ ਕਹੀਐ ਸੋਇ ॥

Ḏẖan pir ėhi na ākẖī­an bahan ikṯẖė ho­ė. Ėk joṯ ḏu­ė mūrṯī ḏẖan pir kahī­ai so­ė.

They are not said to be husband and wife, who merely sit together. They alone are called husband and wife, who have one light in two bodies.-----Guru Amar Das, Raag Suhi, AGGS, Page, 788-11   

Guru Amar Das comments on the widows who burn themselves on the pyre of their dead husband in Raag Suhi and recommended them to marry again:

ਕੰਤਾ ਨਾਲਿ ਮਹੇਲੀਆ ਸੇਤੀ ਅਗਿ ਜਲਾਹਿ ॥

ਜੇ ਜਾਣਹਿ ਪਿਰੁ ਆਪਣਾ ਤਾ ਤਨਿ ਦੁਖ ਸਹਾਹਿ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਕੰਤ ਨ ਜਾਣਨੀ ਸੇ ਕਿਉ ਅਗਿ ਜਲਾਹਿ ॥

ਭਾਵੈ ਜੀਵਉ ਕੈ ਮਰਉ ਦੂਰਹੁ ਹੀ ਭਜਿ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੩॥

Kanṯā nāl mahelī▫ā seṯī ag jalāhi.Je jāṇėh pir āpṇā ṯā ṯan ḏukẖ sahāhi. Nānak kanṯ na jāṇnī se ki▫o ag jalāhi.Bẖāvai jīva▫o kai mara▫o ḏẖūrahu hī bẖaj jāhi. ||3||

The widows burn themselves in the fire, along with their husbands' corpses. If they truly knew their husbands, then they suffer terrible bodily pain. O Nanak, if they did not truly know their husbands, why should they burn themselves in the fire? Whether their husbands are alive or dead, those wives remain far away from them. ||3||-----Guru Amar Das, Raag Suhi, AGGS, Page, 787

Guru Ram Das points towards dowry should be the Name of the Immortal God and to praise It in Holy Congregation in Siri Raag:

ਹੋਰਿ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਦਾਜੁ ਜਿ ਰਖਿ ਦਿਖਾਲਹਿ ਸੁ ਕੂੜੁ ਅਹੰਕਾਰੁ ਕਚੁ ਪਾਜੋ ॥

ਹਰਿ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਮੇਰੇ ਬਾਬੁਲਾ ਹਰਿ ਦੇਵਹੁ ਦਾਨੁ ਮੈ ਦਾਜੋ ॥੪॥

Hor manmukẖ ḏāj jė rakẖ ḏikẖālėh so kūṛ ahaʼnkār kacẖ pājo. Har parabẖ mere babulā har ḏevhu ḏān mai ḏājo. ||4||

The dowry, which the self-willed gives, is for show, and false egotism is worthless display. O my father, please give me the Name of God as my wedding gift and dowry. ||4||-----Guru Ram Das, Siri Raag, AGGS, Page, 79-2, 3

ਆਵਹੁ ਭੈਣੇ ਤੁਸੀ ਮਿਲਹੁ ਪਿਆਰੀਆ ॥

ਜੋ ਮੇਰਾ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮੁ ਦਸੇ ਤਿਸ ਕੈ ਹਉ ਵਾਰੀਆ ॥

ਮਿਲਿ ਸਤਸੰਗਤਿ ਲਧਾ ਹਰਿ ਸਜਣੁ ਹਉ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਵਿਟਹੁ ਘੁਮਾਈਆ ਜੀਉ ॥੧॥

Āvhu bẖaiṇe ṯusī milhu pi▫ārī▫ā. Jo merā parīṯam ḏase ṯis kai ha▫o vārī▫ā. Mil saṯsangaṯ laḏẖā har sajaṇ ha▫o saṯgur vitahu gẖumā▫ī▫ā jī▫o. ||1||

Come, dear sisters-let us join together. I am a sacrifice to the one who tells me of my Beloved.
Joining the True Congregation, I have found God, my Best Friend. I am a sacrifice to the True Guru. ||1||-----Guru Ram Das, Siri Raag, AGGS, Page, 96-6 

Conclusion:

According to Sikh Philosophy, men and women are born equal to one another. This diverges from many other religious philosophies, which believe that women came to exist only as part of a man. Sikh scripture outlines that women are to be regarded as equal to men and have the same right to grow spiritually. Even though Sikh Scripture& amp; teachings give equality to women but in practice they are still considered second class citizens as practiced by male clergy in charge of the SGPC. Although there are some Sikh Gurudwaras run by women. Despite all the saying women are not allowed services at Golden Temple, Amritsar. Before 1947 polygamy was quite common in Punjab especially when there is no male offspring the husband usually married again for the birth of an heir. Females were not given their equal share of the parent’s wealth after their death which used to go to sons.