Women in New Religious Movements: Indigenous Feminism of the Brahma Kumaris

Abstract

This article discusses the possibility of feminism outside the mainstream Western tradition by examining the case of a new religious movement (NRM) rooted in the Hindu tradition—the Brahma Kumaris. There are various forms of feminism based on historical, geographical and other social factors, hence, invoking the Babb’s (1984) idea of ‘indigenous feminism’ in the context of the Brahma Kumaris movement, this article contends that it is the only Hindu-based NRM that directly challenges misogyny and displays an explicit female ideology where women occupy positions of power and status, and men play subordinate roles to women both in secular and religious life. Drawing on ethnographic accounts, this article aims to outline the socially embedded enactment of liberating and empowering ideas about women through roles, norms and everyday practices within the Brahma Kumaris. Further, it reflects on the Brahma Kumaris’ feminism in its cultural context, on female guruhood, celibacy and the lived experiences of Brahma Kumaris.