Abstract
From the abinitio, the position of women in religion had been
historically dynamic as many had reported archeological discoveries of
the effigies of great religious leaders as women and goddesses. But
in-between histories, there was the rhetoric of the relegation of women
to the pew as pertaining to religion. Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and
African traditional religions have often been adjudged to be hostile to
female folk with lots of literature analyzing the ceiling placed on
women’s socio-economic and political lives and its attendant
implications. Contemporarily, the case is different as diverse religions
the world over have relaxed most strict patriarchal practices to house
women albeit empower them, but amidst this ample gain, there is the
dearth of scholarly works to accommodate such phoenix rise vis-à-vis
religion and women thus, the essence of this work. It underscores the
contemporary global religions and their modus operandi in empowering
women in juxtaposition with history. With the analysis of secondary data
and context, the study submits among other things that many Pentecostal
churches are currently led by women, the orthodox have more priestesses
and female bishops, Islam has become more gender egalitarian, allowing
women with certain degree of freedom (like women driving and voting in
Saudi Arabia), Hinduism is friendlier to women and female traditional
cum religious leaders keep emerging unlike before. Women feel/are more
religiously empowered today than in recent histories owing to the advent
of advocacy democracy. With the application of neoliberal theory, the
study suggests a further deregulation of religion as a panacea for total
women emancipation vis-à-vis their economic and political lives.