"Man has been trying throughout history a political strategy over women – that she is lower than him. And he has convinced the woman herself. And there were reasons that the woman was helpless and had to concede to this ugly idea which is absolutely absurd. The woman is neither inferior to man, nor is she superior. They are two different categories of humanity – they cannot be compared. The very comparison is idiotic, and if you start comparing then you will be in trouble.

"Why has woman been proclaimed inferior by man all over the world? – because this was the only way to keep her in bondage, to make a slave out of her.

"It was easier. If she were equal then there would be trouble; she should be conditioned to the idea that she is inferior. And the reasons given are: she has less muscular strength; her height is less; she has not produced any philosophy, any theology; she has not founded any religion; there have not been significant women artists, musicians, painters. That shows that she has not enough intelligence, she is not an intellectual, she is not concerned with higher problems of life; her concern, is very limited: she is only a housewife.

"Now, choosing to compare this way, you can easily convince the woman that she is inferior. But this is a very cunning way. There are other things also to be compared. A woman can give birth to a child, a man cannot. He is certainly inferior; he cannot become a mother. Nature has not given him that much responsibility, knowing that he is inferior. The responsibility goes to the superior. Nature has not given him a womb. In fact, his function in giving birth to a child is nothing more than that of an injection – a very momentary use.

"The mother has to carry the child for nine months and take all the trouble of carrying the child. It is not an easy job. And then to give birth to the child that is almost as if one is passing through death. Then she is involved in bringing up the child for years together – and in the past she was continually giving birth to children."