What is the position of women in Western Buddhism?
In modern Western Buddhism there is absolutely no barrier. Women are nuns, teachers, practitioners, in full equality. Women make up a significant majority in many modern Western schools, including my own (Vipassana.) That hasnt been true historically, to be sure. It is still not possible for women to be ordained as nuns in some parts of Asia. The late Roshi Jiyu Kennett of Shasta Abbey was the very first female Zen master to be given full Dharma transmission by a major Japanese temple (Soji-ji).
