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Unlock This CourseIn Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Disability: Rights, Opportunities and Bias you learned that equal rights and equal opportunities mean everyone is treated fairly and has the same chances, and that bias holds some people back. Now we ask what Sikhs teach and how they put it into practice.
Sikhs believe the same light of God is in every person, as you saw in Sikhism and Human Rights. So women and men are equal before God. The Gurus taught this clearly, at a time when many societies treated women as lower.
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Many people in the Punjab at the time of the Gurus lived under the caste system, in which birth decided a person's rank and who they could eat with or marry. The Gurus rejected this. Sikhs believe that a person's worth does not depend on birth. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, started the Khalsa (the community of initiated Sikhs) in 1699, and the first five men he chose came from different backgrounds. Taking the names Singh and Kaur also set aside caste surnames, which shows that rank by birth has no place in Sikhism.
The langar is the free meal served in every gurdwara. Everyone sits on the floor together and eats the same food, whatever their gender, caste, religion or wealth. Men and women both cook and serve it. Sharing food in this way is sewa (selfless service), and it puts equality into practice every day.
Sikhs remember many women. Mata Khivi, wife of Guru Angad (the second Guru), is honoured for running the langar. Bibi Bhani, daughter of Guru Amar Das (the third Guru), later married Guru Ram Das (the fourth Guru) and was the mother of Guru Arjan. Mai Bhago fought as a soldier, and in 1705 led a group of Sikhs back into battle at Muktsar.
These women show that Sikhs value women as leaders, teachers and fighters, and not only as helpers.
Sikhs admit that real life does not always match the teaching. Some points often raised:
Sikhs who care about equality say the answer is to follow the Gurus more closely, not to change them. This is why many gurdwaras and Sikh groups encourage women to take leading roles.
The same divine light is in every person, including people with a physical or mental disability. So a Sikh should treat each person with respect and equal worth. Sikhs teach that the body is only a temporary gift from God, so a person's value does not depend on how their body or mind works. Different Sikhs may explain disability in different ways, for example through karma, but all are taught to respond with kindness and not blame.
As with women, practice varies: some gurdwaras are better prepared than others.
Paper 1 (a) [3 marks, AO1]: Identify three ways the Sikh religion shows equality in practice.
1. The langar, where everyone eats together (1). 2. The shared names Singh and Kaur (1). 3. Any Sikh, woman or man, can lead worship (1).
Paper 1 (b) [4 marks, AO1]: Choose one religion. Outline two Sikh teachings about equal rights.
Guru Nanak taught that women should not be called inferior (1), because all people are born from women (1). Sikhs also teach that the same light of God is in everyone (1), so the Gurus rejected the caste system (1).
Paper 1 (c) [6 marks, AO1 and AO2]: Choose one religion. Explain why there are different attitudes to equal opportunities for women in this religion.
In Sikhism the teaching is clear. Guru Nanak said women should not be called inferior, and women and men are equal before God. Any Sikh may lead worship or become a granthi, and the names Singh and Kaur are shared. Because of this, many Sikhs strongly support equal opportunities and point to women such as Mai Bhago. However, attitudes in practice differ. In some gurdwaras few women serve on committees or as granthis, because local habits and cultural ideas have kept old roles, and some families still prefer sons. This means some Sikhs think the community has not yet followed the Gurus fully, while others feel the teaching is already being kept. The different attitudes come from the gap between the teaching and what some communities do.
Paper 1 (d) [12 marks, AO1 and AO2]: "Religious communities do more to support equality than other groups."
Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion.
For: Sikhs put equality into practice daily in the langar, where all eat together; Guru Nanak and the Gurus rejected caste and called for respect for women; religion gives believers a reason to act (divine light in all).
Against: few women lead in some gurdwaras and some families prefer sons, so teaching and practice can differ; Humanists and the law (such as the Equality Act 2010) also support equality, and laws can be enforced where religious communities cannot.
Possible conclusion: Religious communities such as the Sikh community give a strong motive and a daily example, but do not always live up to it, so they do a lot, but not always more than the law and other groups.
In a 12-mark answer, name a Sikh teaching and a real example, then judge it: does the practice match the teaching?