ADVANTAGES OF THE FEMALE LINEAGE SYSTEM

This fact is very troubling and disturbing. Twenty percent of India's population was decimated in the last century. This is a very sad situation because femicide (killing of females) is rampant among some families in India.

In ancient times women and girls were valued and respected as part of the Vedic tradition. When patriarchy and the male lineage system took hold, the status of women decreased over time. In some families in modern India female fetuses are aborted because of their gender. Some girls are drown in milk and thrown into wells during the first few days after birth. Some women are murdered because the husband's family wants more dowry money or consumer goods right after the women get married. If the bride's family does not comply, the bride can be burned to death on the stove or thrown into a well. In ancient times the father gave a dowry to the bride as a social insurance policy if the marriage did not work out for various reasons. Since the 1960's dowry has been illegal. Some fathers do call the police when the grooms get too greedy; however, many women are still abused and murdered because of the modern dowry system. This needs to change.

The male lineage system, unfortunately, only encourages people of weak and greedy character. Because women are devalued, rape is common in some locations. Recently there have been politicians who were involved in rapes who even bragged about them. Gender Equal reported that these politicians were being criminally charged after their admission of raping the women. Professional women even have been raped and sexually harassed in India.

Another sad practice is child marriage when children as young as nine are married. Some teachers and schools are standing up for the girls. The some teachers and school children go to the parents' houses to explain the long-term advantages of girls being educated. Females who are educated increase household income. Parents have discovered this after the woman gets her first job or starts her own business at home or in a store front. Unfortunately, only some parents get educated on the advantages of a female education. Recently India has started to provide free vegetarian lunches at the schools to encourage parents to keep their children in school to decrease the incidence of child marriage.

India really needs to change its entrenched patriarchal system which encourages abuse of females, child marriage, dowry murders and femicide. Ancient Kerala developed a female lineage system which had many advantages for their society. The social problems I have just described were virtually non-existent there. The queens of Kerala abolished slavery and economic exploitation of the lower castes and classes. In other words, the women cleaned up the corruption which existed at the time.

Realize that women are Divine Shakti on earth. They have aspects of Mother Lakshmi, who is the goddess of health, wealth and prosperity in all its forms--spiritual and material. When the woman is valued and honored in the home, the home is prosperous. Yes, the women are the wealth in the home because they represent Mother Lakshmi.

In earlier Vedic times women were more valued and India was overall more prosperous. Women were sages, business owners, teachers, domestic workers, doctors, lawyers, priests as well as being homemakers. Female education was even encouraged among certain castes and classes in India. Women had high status and were more valued. This gradually changed over time until today where there are so many social problems connected with the patriarchal system.

Kerala developed a matriarchal lineage system which eliminated many social problems in their society. There were many invasions in this area of India, so the men were often away at war or protecting territory. Because of this situation women often had more than one husband. Men died in the wars or were away frequently, so it was a practical necessity for women to marry multiple husbands. The husband moved into the wife's home. The senior female member was the head of the extended household known as the tarwad. It was economically self-sufficient. They had a temple, a well, a granary, gardens, orchards and lands. The brother of the senior woman administered the basic affairs of the household and instituted the ideas and decisions of the senior woman who consulted with other members in her decisions. Every one was taken care of and there was no homelessness. Because women owned the property and lineage, little domestic violence occurred. Men who were violent had no where to go. They did not own the property. Men who were violent were thrown out of the tarwad, so violence as not tolerated in their society. Women also developed lineage through the female members. Female royalty assumed the throne as part of the lineage system. All were educated in their society. In fact they had a 100% literacy rate. Poverty was unheard of because of the cooperative economic system which took care of every one. Cooperation was highly valued in their society. People were encouraged to be individuals as well. People of different castes married each other, so wealth was evenly distributed in the population.

Unfortunately, over time the nuclear family became instituted, so Kerala lost its great cooperative economic system. Homelessness started to occur. However, women are still valued and highly educated in Kerala. The female royalty system still exists in Kerala. Women do work outside the home mostly as teachers and nurses. They are able to travel freely and are respected. So aspects of the ancient system are still in existence today.

I think it's time to bring back the cooperative economic system of ancient Kerala. Social and economic problems are decreased and it encourages a more just, prosperous society. Many of the men of Kerala liked the old system because of the reduction of crime, poverty and violence. Women were not dictators in this system because they consulted others to make decisions. They listened to the men and the children. Change is possible in India. It will depend on the people standing up for what is right.

JAI SHRI KERALA! JAI SHRI MA! JAI SHRI MATRIARCHY!

Radhapriestess