Women's Status from Vedic Age to Modern Age: A Multidisciplinary Review

Abstract: This research paper provides a comprehensive multidisciplinary review of the status of women in India, tracing their journey from the Vedic Age to the contemporary era. It highlights the initial era of gender equality and intellectual empowerment, where women like Gārgī and Maitreyī participated in philosophical discourses and held equal religious rights, including Upanayana (Vedic initiation). The study analyzes the gradual deterioration of women’s status during the Smṛti-Purāṇa period (500 B.C. to 600 A.D.), marked by the withdrawal of educational privileges and the imposition of social restrictions. By examining classical texts like the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata, the paper showcases the resilient ideals of Indian womanhood through characters such as Sītā, Kuntī, and Gāndhārī. The review concludes that while institutional rights were suppressed in later periods, the foundational essence of Indian tradition—symbolized by Ardhanārīśwara and the reverence for Śakti—continues to provide a philosophical basis for restoring the dignity and equality of women in the modern age.