Here is an excerpt from The Dharma of Kalki-An introduction

"Women have long been victimized and have been vulnerable across the length and breadth of the globe. Even today, even in the most developed nations of the world, the vulnerability of the women is pronounced. Superficially there may have been changes, but deep down, the vulnerabilities remain. Especially when it comes to matters spiritual, even though India has been a country with women saints and philosophers being widely respected, the situation has been very dsmal except during the earliest days of recorded history.

There have been many encouraging developments in the land where Mirabai and Andal have been revered as saints. Recently, an interesting trend in Maharashastra has been the fact that there has been a sudden spurt in the number of femal Purohits, not just from the Brahmin community but from all castes and creeds of society. However our land, which has encouraged even in Vedic times, girls to attend Veda Pathashalas, a land which a great Avatara Purusha, Sri Parshvanath had 38,000 Sanyasinis under a Sanyasini leader, Acharya Sri Pshpakula and 3,27,000 of lay women devotees under the leadership of a spiritual teacher named Acharya Sri Sunanda: a land in which the Brahmavadinis had grown to great stature and fame; in that very same land Kalki has now arisen reminding us of the consequences of a life-style which disrespects women. He is emphatic in stating that no house, community, or nation will prosper if there is disrespect shown to women. At the same time, He has placed a very great responsibility on the shoulders of all women. He wants them to awaken to His call and spiritually rejuvenate themselves, so to become His agents for a global transition into a different state of consciousness.

One of the essential pre-requisites for the establishment of the Dharma of Kalki and the reception of His Grace undoubtably is the growth in the spiritual status of women. No macro-level transformation in the world is possible without the fulfillment of this cause.

For in His Mahavakya, He says clearly, "Respect women and You shall receieve My Grace immediately."
_____________________________________________
Interestingly many of the female devotees and dasas of Kalki Bhagavan & Ama, more so than the men are jiva mukti. I was still surprised to here one of the male Acharyas announce at a retreat that in the spiritual realm women are superior in every way. (not half as surprised though as the men I suppose).

Another interesting phenomenon is that when many of the young men in that dharma are looking for wives they appraoch the dasas of Kalki and ask who is close to enlightenment, who is making spiritual progress, whose heart is flowering. The focus is not so much on beauty, income or social status. The enlightened or awakened wife is prized above the others.

If there is financial struggling the devotees are urged to look at their relationships with women-particularly the mother as definately a household with an unhappy woman will not prosper, as you mentioned in your post. In many causes treating the women of the house with respect and working on perfecting one's relationships with women brings more financial gain than sending them out into the workforce.

Like the saying goes: "If momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy."

quoteIt's a shame that many Indian girls in the Western hemisphere are so quick to take up the mantle of the "independent, ambitious" careerwoman.

Possibly because in the West we were taught to ape men.

It is what was expected in the business world. Problem is then we find we don't really need men so much and its scarey to men. I think maybe the plan might have backfired. Even the Amish women say "It takes a mighty fine man to be better than no man."

Up until the recent sexaul harrasment and discrimination laws you pretty much had to be tough, act like a man or at least know karate if your husband expected you to work, as some the the employers and supervisors were very predatory in a sexual way. Alot of ultimatums were given to women by their male employers in previous decades. Still goes on but now there is some protection of the law.

Here the working wife and the beautiful wife are prized above all others. Did you know that here beautiful women generally marry more well-to-do and interesting men?

Kind of funny. Makes for alot of plastic surgery anyway!

Your wife sounds like a very lovely person.

This may sound like quite a naive question to some, but if we're all souls and all part of the same whole just in this physical body for a time isn't this whole debate irrelevant?
Shouldn't we be (according to ANY Holy scripture) loving, respecting and caring for each other no matter what the outer body looks like because we are focused on the inner God-self and soul? Taken in that context it should not matter if our outer body is black or white, male or female, blond or redhead, correct? Each of us should respect love and honor every person we come across in the same manner, because each person, in fact each thing, is another part of us. If we disrespect anyone else or anything else due to it's outer "trappings" are we not disrespecting ourselves?
I guess I just wanted to see other's point of view, because this is a debate I see in anything from my sports groups to my spiritual groups....women Vs men. Shouldn't it be women AND men, each has it's unique gifts from God which are meant to be shared during this (and other) lifetimes and each follows her/his own path as God intends. Respect and love should not be given to the outer trappings, but the inner soul which connects us all.
As for the "trying to be" (like men, or more modern, or more beautiful) isn't that part of the world of maya? We are all trying to be-something, instead of just learning to BE. If we learn to just BE, and BE from our hearts then again, the outer trappings become irrelevant.
I don't mean to offend, or put down anyone's point of view...but as a woman, sometimes these debates get tiring, because I want to be respected for the whole being I am, not just because I am a woman, or of a certain race, or even because of the country I come from. Love and respect me for the be-ing you see and FEEL inside, not my outer trappings.

Just the meanderings of a mind...

Namaste,
Kenyatta