In Jain tradition, cooking itself is not restricted to women only.

• Dharma point of view:

Jain Dharma does not say “only women should cook” or “men should not cook.” Cooking is simply a household (or ashram) activity that should be done: - with ahimsa (minimum violence to living beings), - with shuddhi (cleanliness, purity), - and with the right bhav (pure intention).

• Historically in families:

In many Indian/Jain households, women mainly handled cooking due to social customs, not because of any Jain scriptural rule. Men usually focused on business/outdoor work, but this was culture, not Dharma.

• Men and cooking in practice:

- Many Jain men know cooking and do cook, especially now in modern times, hostels, abroad, etc. - When someone follows swadhyay, pratikraman, or other sadhana, it is helpful if both men and women can cook simple, saatvik Jain food.

• Ascetics (sadhus–sadhviji):

Jain monks and nuns generally do not cook; they take gochari (alms/food) from households. So the question of “teaching cooking” to them doesn’t arise in the usual sense.

So, from Jain Dharma’s view:

• Cooking can be learned and done by both men and women.
• The important thing is non‑violence, purity, and discipline, not whether the person is male or female.