Is the ego inherent to males only?

[Smt. Chhanda asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, it is always told that, female-birth as the final birth is inevitable in the path of salvation from worldly bonds. Apart from passing through the three strongest bonds, an extra advantage is the freedom from the leftover inherent male ego in the female birth. But Swami, is this ego inherent to males only? Females also have ego. It may be different from the male ego but it is there. It is possible for females to suppress the ego but it does not mean that the ego is not there. It is only suppressed. In order to reach God, is it not necessary to make this ego also zero as it is in the case of male ego? Please clarify this doubt of mine. At Your divine lotus feet, Chhanda.]

Swami replied: - Ego is common to both male and female, which depends upon the strongest solidified thoughts of the soul (saṃskāras or vāsanās). To eradicate this ego, effort is common to both male and female. Apart from this general ego, there is a special ego called gender-ego with any male soul and such gender-ego is absent with any female soul. This gender ego starts along with the soul as soon as the soul realizes that it has a masculine body. This gender ego exists along with the soul as long as the masculine body exists along with the soul. The awareness of soul is pervading all over the body, which is constantly in contact with the masculine body having the masculine awareness all the times. This is the reason why God Rama asked all the male sages to be born as female Gopikas.