“There are 5.8 billion religiously affiliated adults and children around the globe, representing 84 percent of the 2010 world population of 6.9 billion,” says a new demographic study conducted by Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life. This study also concluded that, “Worldwide, more than eight-in-ten people identify with a religious group.” Such a large portion of the world practices religion, that we now must ask ourselves: do the values and principles we pass on to our children diminish their possibilities for a successful future? Do the practices and beliefs we engage in everyday perpetuate stereotypical gender roles for women and men? After careful analysis, I have concluded that if religions don’t originate and begin with specific gender roles, society imposes them upon the religion. For example, Judaism has originated with specific roles for men and women, that seem to consistently prove that a woman has less capabilities and a intellect than a man. However, in Islam, it seems that society has imposed so many social constructs and sexism, that they now have become intertwined with the religion itself.

In my personal experience, sexism is very prominent in my own religion, Judaism. At an Orthodox temple, women are denied the basic right to read from the Torah, and even stand on the bimah. In Judaism, when a boy reaches the age of 13 and a girl 12 or 13 (depending on reform, conservative, or orthodox temples) they become responsible for their own actions, and are considered an adult in the Jewish community. At a bat mitzvah, one of the main components of the service is reading from the torah for the first time as an adult. With all your friends and family watching, this is a glorious moment of pride and joy, as you reflect on all of the preparation and practicing it took to master your portion to read.

This, if you couldn’t already tell, was one of my favorite moments of my celebration. I felt so proud and joyful, it was one of my first big accomplishments. My cousin, only 11 now, is already planning her celebration at an Orthodox temple. She will never feel the joy I felt. Because in an Orthodox temple, she won’t be able to even stand on the bimah (the pulpit) or read from the Torah. This pains me to hear, knowing that at this young age, she is already being taught she can’t do what a man can. She already has limitations because of her gender. She already has the idea that women aren’t as strong, smart, and capable as men instilled in her brain. Judaism has been shaped around these biases, while Islam has had biases imposed on the religion itself.

 
In Islam, many argue that women are forced to be modest and “cover-up” most of the bodies, while men don’t have the same requirements for modesty. They believe that As a Muslim feminist, Fatema Mernissi, on the topic of gender roles in Islam, states, “if women's rights are a problem for some modern Muslim men, it is neither because of the Koran nor the Prophet Muhammad, nor the Islamic tradition, but simply because those rights conflict with the interests of a male elite.” This shows that Mernissi believes that any gender roles and inequalities in Islam are not because of the religion and its principles, but are because of the society we live in, and the people involved in the religion. Many agree, but many are opposed to the idea of a hijab. They believe a hijab oppresses a woman, and forces the belief that a woman and a man are different, therefore they must undergo different traditions. However, the Koran clearly states that women and men are equal, “[Quran 3:195] Their Lord responded to them: "I never fail to reward any worker among you for any work you do, be you male or female, you are equal to one another,” This shows that many religions do not specifically begin with harsh gender roles, but the society we live in can bring unwanted social constructs, like sexism, into a religion.

In Christianity, one of the most famous passages, “Adam and Eve” makes a broad statement on the reason women were put on this Earth. In Genesis 1-3, it states, “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him,” referring to a woman. This means that God created a woman to be a helper to a man, when animals were not substantial helpers. In addition, the Bible even compares husband to wife as Christ is to Church, “Ephesians 5:22-33: For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.” This shows that the Bible preaches that a husband is in control of his wife. Shockingly, the Bible even compares the relationship of a husband and wife to Christ and the Church, showing the level of control and dominance a husband should have over his wife. This is a very apparent example of a religion that began with gender roles, and greatly affects the world today. If you think about it, Christianity is the most apparent religion in the world, as 32% of the 84% of religious people in the world practice Christianity. We can conclude that the gender roles in this religion affect more people than any other religion, which could be why gender roles and stereotypes are so prominent in our current society.

In conclusion, gender roles are so prominent and apparent in our day to day lives, that we must wonder how they became so prominent. I believe that the principles and religious belief that children are raised around enforces the ideas of gender roles, and makes young girls and boys succumb to the specific roles, rather than branching out and choosing the path they select, not the one society selects for them. This age is the age of change. Dare yourself to question everything about your religion, and to truly find your own role in this world.


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