The Challenge Faced by Hindu Women in Doing Their Swadharma in the Midst of Modernisation

Abstract

Hindu women who are already in the Grhasta period play an important role in the family. In their married life, women have several obligations for the harmony of their family. The word ‘woman’ comes from the word ‘wanită’, the feminine sex, which means beloved, wife, girl, woman, female (Semadi Astra, 2000: 372). Based on that sense, the word ‘woman’ means beloved, indicating that women are part of social life and family is part of the composition of social creatures that spread love to the surrounding environment, likewise their effort to enforce the Swadharma in their life. However, there are several obstacles regarding the efforts of women in implementing their Swadharma to create harmony in the family, society, and workplace.The Hindu women in Bali began to show their existence in their family life, society, nation, and state. Women's participation in the family is very meaningful. A woman as a wife and mother in the family has an important role in creating the harmony of the family as well as mental development of her children. In addition to taking care of the family, now women also participate in helping the family finances. Hindu women in Bali do not want to be housewives only and ask the husband for the household expenses. Many women are now beginning to participate to help family finances by working at home and outside. Even some mothers really want to fight alone for their children. It simply proves that women can also act as the head of a family just as a father.

Keywords

• Hindu Women