Bhikkunis in Southeast Asia
Thilashin is a Burmese term that means "Keeper of moral virtue."
A Thilashin is a female lay renunciate. *In the Theravada tradition, some scholars believe that the bhikkhuni lineage became extinct in the 11th to 13th centuries and that no new bhikkhunis could be ordained since there were no bhikkhunis left to give ordination. For this reason, the leadership of the Theravada bhikkhu Sangha in Burma and Thailand deem fully ordained bhikkhunis as impossible.* (*Wikipedia)
In Thailand, women can take partial vows in the Buddhist Sangha. Like the Thilashin, the Maechi function in a gray area between that of a lay follower and a fully ordained monk. The Maechi are recognized by their shaved heads and white robes.
In Buddhism women are as capable of achieving enlightenment as men.
