**Opinion: Hinduism Isn’t Patriarchal**

There are no major male Hindu deities without a female counterpart. Without such a royal and divine consort, the male deity is considered inert and infirm.

Due to a biased and superficial Western media, controlled by either right-wing Christians or anti-Hindu liberals, many in the West think Hinduism is anti-woman. There are many millions of strong, bold, and independent Hindu women who would disagree. However, due to various factors, all religious traditions have steered towards some form of patriarchy.

There is an extensive line of female Hindu sages and warriors alike. There is no parallel of this in Christianity or Islam. Hindu women dress in colourful sarees and jewellery, not in burkas. This reveals their natural beauty and royal nature.