Svatantratā (Freedom): A New Perspective on Female Renunciation

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12794/journals.sujjs.v2i1.313

Keywords:

gender, renunciation, empowerment, mendicant communities

Abstract

Although women constitute the majority of the Jain ascetic population, gender-based doctrinal interpretations and patriarchal structures within mendicant communities limit women’s roles and mobility. This paper explores dynamics regarding gender across both Śvetāmbara and Digambara sects. Through this exploration, we find examples of Jain nuns emerging as figures who subvert systemic subordination while utilizing asceticism as a source of empowerment to initiate change and express agency.

 

Author Biography

  • Sofia Symon, University of California, Santa Barbara

    Sofia Symon is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she earned a B.A. in Political Science. Having been both baptized and bat mitzvahed, she has always had a curiosity for learning about new religions, which inspired her interest in Jainism upon entering university. She is eager to continue her research in scholarship at the University of Miami School of Law this fall.

References

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Jaini, Padmanabh S. Gender and Salvation: Jaina Debates on the Spiritual Liberation of Women. University of California Press, 1991. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520377813.

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Published

2026-05-20

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Sofia Symon

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Symon, Sofia. 2026. “Svatantratā (Freedom): A New Perspective on Female Renunciation”. Samyak: An Undergraduate Journal of Jain Studies 2 (1). https://doi.org/10.12794/journals.sujjs.v2i1.313.