In the Theravāda Buddhist countries of Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, women’s roles have been shaped by a blend of Buddhist ethics and regional cultural traditions. Historically, these societies often offered women more rights and social visibility than many others at the same time, particularly under the influence of Buddhist moral principles.
In Sri Lanka, the chronicle Mahāvaṃsa records that in the 1st century BCE, royal support was given to both monks and nuns, with massive donations made to 60,000 monks and 30,000 nuns. The bhikkhunī order (order of fully ordained nuns), which followed 311 precepts, flourished for centuries. However, after a devastating invasion in 1017 CE, the lineage died out. Although the male ordination line was later revived from Burma, the bhikkhunī lineage was not — and has remained absent from most Southern Buddhist countries ever since .
In Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, a full bhikkhunī ordination lineage seems never to have been properly established. Nevertheless, lay renunciant women — such as mae chi in Thailand and dasa sil mata in Sri Lanka — have lived celibate lives following eight or ten precepts, though often without formal recognition or equal support compared to monks .
Despite the institutional challenges, many Southern Buddhist societies granted women considerable secular rights. Inheritance laws in pre-colonial times often treated sons and daughters equally. Both spouses had legally recognized grounds for divorce. In Burma, Western observers noted that Buddhist wives were considered near equals to their husbands and actively participated in family affairs. Compared to 19th-century Western norms, Burmese women were seen as having significant freedom and agency .
However, regional variations existed. For instance, between the 14th and 18th centuries, Thailand was influenced by Brahmanic cultural patterns that placed women at some disadvantage, though this began to shift in the 20th century. Thai women won the right to vote in 1932, the same time as men .
In modern Southern Buddhism, cultural attitudes can be paradoxical. In Burma, although women enjoy relative equality in daily life, they may still see men as superior due to beliefs that men have better karmic conditions (e.g., the potential to become Buddhas, or avoid childbirth). Yet these views coexist with admiration for strong, spiritually committed women .
Buddhist-inspired social reform movements have also empowered women. For instance, the Sarvodaya Shramadāna movement in Sri Lanka encourages women to speak up and take active leadership roles in village development, challenging traditional notions of shyness or subordination .
In short, while institutional barriers — such as the absence of full bhikkhunī ordination — continue to affect women in Southern Buddhist societies, many have long enjoyed remarkable social freedom, legal rights, and moral agency, often surpassing the status of women in other cultures of the same periods.