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In our tradition, we consider men and women as equals. There were female warriors who fought in battles. Our women are not a passive bunch. However, does this make our women lose aspects of their femininity and make them more masculine?

In theory we may consider them equal but are they treated so? Punjab has one of the worst levels of female foetocide in India. Gianis are all men, in the west the Katha and Kirtan are all done on the men's side of the gurdwara, the committee members are all men. There has never been a female chief minister in Punjab or the head of a political party. Having some historical female warriors like Mai Bhago, Joan of Arc, Boudica does not tell you anything about the attributes of the wider female population of a group. Sikh women in India are very feminine. It is in the west where women and men are seen as more equals and that is where Sikh women have picked up some masculine behaviours such as focusing on their careers and getting married later.

My family are doing farming these days too. Or at least leasing land to farmers. They haven't started to call themselves Jutts yet. They didn't buy into the inferiority complex I guess???