Neo-Vedanta approaches caste and gender through the metaphysical vision of a single, divine Self present in all beings. Drawing on Advaitic non-dualism, it treats distinctions of caste, gender, and social rank as belonging to the realm of name and form rather than to the true Self, which is identical with Brahman. From this vision arises an ethical claim: if all share the same divine essence, then discrimination on the basis of birth or sex is spiritually unfounded. This inner oneness becomes the ground for asserting the spiritual equality of all, even when social structures change only gradually.

With regard to caste, Neo-Vedantic thinkers deny that spiritual status is determined by birth and reject caste-based discrimination as contrary to Vedantic principles. The hereditary caste system is criticized, and caste distinctions are declared meaningless in spiritual matters. Spiritual worth is said to depend on character, qualities, and realization rather than lineage. In practice, many Neo-Vedantic organizations seek to minimize caste barriers in religious life, establishing institutions and communities in which participation is open to all castes and where caste identity is de-emphasized in monastic and devotional settings.

On gender, Neo-Vedanta affirms that men and women share the same divine essence and therefore possess equal spiritual potential. Traditional restrictions on women’s spiritual practice are challenged, and women’s capacity for the highest realization is explicitly upheld. This theological stance supports the education and empowerment of women, presenting their uplift as essential for genuine social and spiritual progress. In several Neo-Vedantic lineages, women have been recognized as nuns, teachers, and spiritual exemplars, and women’s branches or wings of organizations have emerged, even if often within structures still largely led by men.

A characteristic strategy of Neo-Vedanta is to reinterpret classical texts so that universalist, egalitarian passages are foregrounded, while hierarchical or exclusionary verses are treated as contextual or secondary. Caste and patriarchal customs are framed as historical accretions rather than the essence of Vedantic spirituality, which is defined as the direct realization of the one Self in all. At the same time, the implementation of these ideals has been uneven, and a gap often remains between lofty metaphysical claims and social reality. Neo-Vedanta thus functions both as a critique of inherited hierarchies and as a gradualist program of reform, seeking to transform attitudes and institutions from within a non-dual spiritual worldview.