“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!” (Song of Songs 1:2): Gender, Pleasure and Conjugal Sexual Ethics

Abstract

The call for gender equality often concentrates more on the role of the woman in the public forum. Equally important is the recognition of the sexual identity of the woman and her sexual desire and fulfilment, especially in marriage. Developing trends in traditional societies like India show that the denial of women’s desire and fulfilment is one of the major reasons behind the rise in marital conflicts. A healthy man-woman relationship as well as the consideration of justice demands an ethics that takes into consideration the female desire and fulfilment. The basis for constructing a gender-sensitive sexual ethics can be found in the Biblical books like Song of Songs. A gender-sensitive sexual ethics demands the reconsideration of many traditional norms and an ethics based on reciprocal and mutual sexual fulfilment.