Balinese women in a changing society

Balinese women face the dilemma of maintaining their vital role amid a rapidly changing society. In Bali, the primary female role is one of fostering balance and harmony within families. The Balinese people view women not from the vantage of career success but rather from the vantage of whether they can produce good quality children, and can work as part of a family team. Balinese men and women work together as partners. Indeed, men are not enemies; the genders help and need each other. Values underlying emancipation for women clash with traditional values, leading to frequent misunderstandings. Emancipation advocates neglect those elements necessary for complementing Balinese values. Applying educational and preventative methods, as well as therapeutic innovations to such problems, is helpful at all levels of society.