Vashti and Sita: The Daring Sisters We Could Trust

The aim of this paper is to make a comparison between two female figures from two different religions. Vashti is one of the unsung heroines in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible, while Sita in the Book of Ramayana is a revered female figure among Hindus. The tales of these women seem to display similarities in the ideals they embody and hence we endeavour to read them together. We wish to explore the extent to which Vashti and Sita’s tales of female courage and daring could inspire women today who continue to suffocate under oppressive patriarchal contexts. This is relevant to the context of Botswana, where despite global efforts to bend gender-based inequality, women continue to be victimised.