Women's Rights: The Case of Bhikkhuni Ordination in Theravada Buddhism

Abstract

This article aims to study the topic of “Bhikkhuni” and “Women’s Rights” in Theravada Buddhism, which is related to their roles and significance in Buddhist history. However, the status of Bhikkhuni has been limited and overlooked in many societies. The Buddha gave women the opportunity to attain the highest Dharma, just like men, by allowing them to be ordained as Bhikkhunis, demonstrating their equality in the Dharma. However, in practice, religions at the sect level have continuously discriminated against women for a long time. Bhikkhunis, who are representatives of Indian civilization at its peak, have not been given the opportunity to exist in Thai society. The issue of “Women’s Rights” is currently being widely discussed. Therefore, studying the role of Bhikkhunis in the past opens a new perspective in looking at the issue of women’s rights today. This article studies the connection between Bhikkhunis and women’s rights, as well as the inspiration for the fight for women’s equality by Bhikkhunis in the past, along with the application of Buddhist principles that teach about equality to use in demanding women’s rights today.