Shiva is half woman God or Ardharnareshwar (ardha-nari-ishwar). This image is often assumed to represent gender equality. But the male and female halves of the image have less to do with the reality of gender and more to do with the representation of gender-neutral ideas.

God, in Hindu mythology, represents human imagination that can be worshipped (independent Shiva, dependable Vishnu) or not worshipped (dependent Brahma) while Goddess represents nature. Human imagination needs nature but nature does not need human imagination. Hence God becomes half the Goddess but the Goddess never becomes half a God.