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YANGON: In a society where a popular saying urges women to “regard their son as their teacher and their husband as their god,” the Buddhist nun Ketumala is already an exception.
The 40-year-old turned away from traditional expectations of marriage and children as a teenager and instead has spent more than two decades as a fierce advocate for the importance of women in religion.
The dark red robes and skinheads of Myanmar’s monks are internationally recognized, but the plight of the nation’s large number of nuns, estimated at more than 60,000, is poorly documented.
An ingrained patriarchy – the belief that women are inferior is common and discrimination is routine – means that nuns, who also shave their hair but wear pink, can face abuse.
“When a man enters the monastery, people always applaud saying that it is good for the religion and it will improve it, but when a woman enters the monastery, people always think that it is due to a problem,” explains Ketumala.
“They believe that it is a place for poor women, elderly, sick, divorced or who need help to survive,” he adds.
Outgoing and rebellious, Ketumala is arguably Myanmar’s best known nun, having founded the Dhamma School Foundation, which runs more than 4,800 Buddhist education centers for children across the country.
But he cautions that many nuns are still treated with contempt: convents are run on donations, but they do not enjoy the reverence of monasteries and therefore struggle with funding.
In the worst case, the nuns are abused even for begging to help them survive.
“Sometimes they are harassed on the road,” he explains.
Candid and rebellious, Ketumala is arguably Myanmar’s best known nun, having founded the Dhamma School Foundation, which runs more than 4,800 Buddhist education centers for children across the country. (AFP / Sai Aung Main)
SUPERSTITION AND DISCRIMINATION
The Ketumala battle for the recognition and respect of nuns in Buddhism runs parallel to the broader challenge of women’s rights in modern Myanmar.
Aung San Suu Kyi could be the face of the nation, but her role at the top of civilian government hides the lack of female representation in positions of power in the country.
Only 10.5 percent of MPs are women, although there are indications that the proportion could improve after the November elections.
Laws are often made by men, for men, and rights activists have warned that violence against women is so pervasive in society at large that it is considered normal.
Superstitions surrounding women are widespread: it is frowned upon to wash women’s clothes with men’s, even within the same family, for fear that men will lose their masculinity.
In religious life, women are forbidden to enter certain Buddhist sites or temples and are told never to sit on top of men.
Ketumala says she has little power to bring about all the changes she would like to see.
“The decision on all matters related to the nuns comes from the monks,” he explains.
Even creating the foundation was a fight – she says the monks she initially approached for support would not endorse her, even though they thought it was a good idea.
She says: “For me it was doing good things together for the religion and for the country. But what I realized was that monks have egos … they didn’t want to get involved and implement because it was a nun’s idea.”
Even when the project was launched, she could not be appointed to its executive, but instead was given the role of “secretary”, and was eventually forced to resign when the monks took control of her administration.
The dark red robes and skinheads of Myanmar’s monks are internationally recognized, but the plight of the nation’s large number of nuns, estimated at more than 60,000, is poorly documented. (AFP / Sai Aung Main)
DOMAIN OF THE MIND
Ketumala admits that she was not interested in religion in her youth, but found her way to enlightenment by reading about Buddhist philosophies, and credits Sayarday U Zawti Ka’s volume ‘A House Where Mindfulness Is’ for her clarity.
“I used to think that success was measured by materials (titles and properties), but then I discovered that those who can control and dominate the mind are the only successful people,” he says.
Her family was against her becoming a nun, fearing she would end up being an outcast, and refused to speak to her for years, although they have since reconciled.
He kept going despite opposition, and even earned two degrees in Buddhist Studies while completing his training.
Ketumala admits that there is no hope of achieving the same status as monks: Some historians say that the nuns were ordained in Theravada Buddhism, practiced in Myanmar and much of Southeast Asia, but since the practice died out more than 1,000 years ago, there is no way to revive it.
However, she is determined to make a difference for the tens of thousands of religious in the country so that they can “better use their skills.”
In 2016, she launched a training program for the empowerment of younger nuns and plans to create an organization that will teach subjects such as the art of leadership and management.
“The institute will provide them with the skills they need outside the convent, especially for the development of their community,” he explains.
Ketumala believes that the best way to drive change is to find allies and friends in society, including monks, rather than creating “enemies,” so she has taken a gentle approach to addressing female marginalization.
She adds: “Conservatives are everywhere, so the situation does not give much space to claim women’s rights.”
