> Links to the journal Part one http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1324506  Part Two http://ssrn.com/abstract=1541822

In addition to what Uday had to say which I totally support, the Vedic Scriptures have always respected women and their contribution. One such scriptures, called the Vedaangas which highlight the customs and rituals has  a section called Kalpa Shaastras which consists of duties of father, mother, son, daughter, wife/husband, etc plus the role of the leader and government which underlines that a woman should have absolutely no fear and have freedom ” Whereby she could walk in the street, in the middle of the night, completely covered with jewelry/gold and feel totaly protected”. Every ritual/custom had a scientific and a spiritual reason, e.g  Why don’t you sleep with your head towards the North, due to the magnetic field and chances of iron concentration in the brain. Why do you pray in bed, after sleep, sitting uprights for a few seconds  before getting up, please look at the stats of people having heart stroke by suddenly jumping up. Just to site a few examples, which might encourage you to look deeper into the “Hindu religion” which has no meaning except it has a geographical conection with the River Sindhu. The actual name would be “Santana Dharma”, “way of living”, introspection conducted by rishis, thousands of years ago and written in a way of this sacred scriptures, virtually on on every subject with full authority for us to make changes, improve, modify as per the times and conditions. I was born a Hindu but not once was I forced to follow any domas/rituals but to respect all religions. India has a very rich scientific heritage, valuable to all mankind. Only in the recent part of the Indian history due to the Mugul invasion and the British exploitation that the country suffered. The most to suffer were women under the Mugals due to forced conversions. The myth of the Aryan invasion came about and all Indian valuable scriptures were disregarded during the British Empire. Just after independence the women literacy was about 18 %, but in the last census board conducted in 2001 it was 65%.  In Kerala State it is 86%. Whilst USA has yet to to elect a woman president, Indira Gandhi was elected as early as 1959 as President of of the congress party and then elected as the Prime Minister of India in 1966. Several Chief Ministers of states are also women. As I travelled from South to North I was proud to see women off to work in lot of the cities driving, cycles, motor bikes and cars, probably trying to juggle home/work duties, like in the west. This is not to say their conditions have completely improved but when I compare it to the women in the west, you’ll find it shocking when I tell you that one of the tragedies of my city, ” Vancouver”, while we celebrate Olympics have been the way we have treated our homeless people.  Surving Canadian winters in a cardboard box is not a joke. A 70 year old woman was refused to enter shelter because she had a few belongings she wanted to take along, whilst trying to keep herself warm in the open she burned herself to death. There has been a case where a farmer was chaged for abducting “First Nation women” , take them to the pig farm, slaughtor them and feed them to the pigs. It’s pathetic the way the seniors are treated, often very lonely and in recent case a 75 year old woman was thrown out of her home as she couldn’t pay rent. Such cases never get reported when a documentary is done about a Western Country but any Documentary on India starts of with the slums, so it is not the fault of people, from other countries,  but the media who report it. I was reminded by my elders “when you point a finger at someone, the rest are pointing at you”.  
I would like to hear about the status of women in India from Gurudev, during the Vedic period as it seems he has studied them to a much greater depth and knowing Sanskrit has much better understanding.

Lastly, in the words of the great  Swami Vivekanda who was the first hindu monk who brought awareness to the west about are rich heritage at the ” Conference of world Religions, Chicago 1893? )            

“IT IS IMMPOSSIBLE TO THINK ABOUT THE WELFARE OF THE WORLD UNLESS THE CONDITION OF WOMEN IS IMPROVED. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A BIRD TO FLY ON ONLY ONE WING.”           

I’m afraid you are quite wrong. The female energy is an integral part of Hindu philosophy. The mother god is one of the most revered forms of god in India (Parvati/Shakti/ Kali/Uma/ Sita/Radha…). All gods with have their eternal consorts and the combination of male and female  energies is a consistent theme throughout hinduism. The material universe is considered to be the feminine aspect of gods energy and the wrath of the feminine energy is considered the  greatest force in the universe. There are many example of male gods having to bow to female ones eg: Shiva was forced to kneel before Kali to appease her wrath. Likewise Radha’s love for Khrishna was so powerful he had to prostrate himself  before her.   The hindu concept of god or the primeval being (the Purush) is not considered male or female, however aspects of his personality manifested on Earth in both  male and female forms.

You are right in saying that there is a discrimination against women in India, as there is in many parts of the world, but this is a man made discrimination rather than religious.  No Hindu books that I have read undermine woman and on the contrary  the power of feminine energy is something that has been worshipped for a long time (cf Durga Puja). Don’t let the ignorance of men stop you from enquiring into hindu philosophy which is above the opposites of male/female and black/white.