Abstract
Originated roughly around the 6th century BCE, Jainism propounds nonviolence as one of its major religious doctrines. The religion originated along with Buddhism; however, its presence is mainly in some parts of India as opposed to the international presence of Buddhism. The followers of Mahavira are a numerical minority in India, their financial and social position posits them far from being a marginalized minority. With impressive literacy rates, educational indicators and other attainments, Jains top the charts among almost all religions in India in various socio-economic dimensions. Due to the strict adherence to nonviolence, agriculture, as is the primary occupation in the country, was not an option for the Jains, hence, trade was their only way out, which in turn benefitted them dearly. Majorly identified as the trading community, the Jain community has time and again reaped the benefits of modernity and globalization owing to their urban residence. Easy access to urban healthcare and education also mandated a significant position of women in terms of literacy and other attainments. The paper here seeks to examine the position of laywomen in this well-to-do religious community. Studying data from the National Family Health Survey-4 and 5 and Census 2011, the author shall analyze the position of women in the Jain community. The central objective of the paper is to understand the social position of Jain women as an entity and the working of patriarchy in the community by analyzing various socio-economic indicators.
Keywords: Community, Jainism, Lay women, Minority, Patriarchy.