# Women carry the real burden of religious rituals for brands 2026-08-10T08:15:07+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A new analysis argues that in India, women manage the bulk of domestic religious rituals, tracking lunar calendars, sourcing ingredients, and organising fasts, while men occupy formal public roles. This division, sociologists say, is a cultural structure, not a scriptural rule, built over centuries by split public and domestic spheres. The piece gives women agency as 'shadow power': matriarchs built social networks and authority through ritual mastery. It points out that brands miss this female COO role during festivals, which drive huge retail spending on jewellery, clothing, and home upgrades. The story draws parallels with Confucian East Asia, folk Catholicism, and traditional Judaism, where similar gendered divides operate behind the scenes. ## Coverage - brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com Tags: consumer brands, cultural sociology, festive marketing, gender roles, Indian households, religious rituals Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/women-carry-the-real-burden-of-religious-rituals-for-brands/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/women-carry-the-real-burden-of-religious-rituals-for-brands/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.