The place of Vaishnavis

“As ISKCON developed, however, Srila Prabhupada’s disciples became aware that social roles for women in India differed significantly from those in America. The place of Vaishnavis, formerly seen as sisters and equal members of a spiritual family, became defined in terms of marriage and motherhood. As ISKCON’s leadership began to include more and more celibate monks, Vaishnavis found themselves overlooked and their voices ignored.”

 

– Radha Devi Dasi, Excerpt from the Introduction to ‘Emergence of Women’s Voices in ISKCON