Equality of the Sexes
The sixth principle of Bahá’u'lláh regards the equality of men and women. The male and female of the human kingdom are equal before God. God is no respecter of gender. Whosoever practices more faith, whosoever practices more humanitarianism is nearer to God; but between the male and female there is no innate difference because they share in common all the faculties. The world of humanity has two wings, one the male; the other the female. When both wings are reinforced with the same impulse the bird will be enabled to wing its flight heavenward to the summit of progress. Woman must be given the same opportunities as man for perfecting herself in the attainments of learning, science and arts. God has created the man and the woman equal, why should she be deprived of exercising the fullest opportunities afforded by life? Why should we ever raise the question of superiority and inferiority? In the animal kingdom the male and female enjoy suffrage and in the vegetable kingdom the plants all enjoy equal suffrage. In the human kingdom, which claims to be the realm of brotherhood and solidarity, why should we raise this question?
~ Compilations, Baha’i Scriptures, p. 277
The equality of men and women is of paramount importance in the Baha’i Faith. It is imperative that women be given the same opportunities to serve and to grow in the Faith. At the same time, it is necessary for men to share in responsibilities that may have traditionally been reserved for women. As an educator, I am always pleased to see expansions in the opportunities for young girls to go to school and receive an education. As a society, there is a resource that we have let go to waste for so many generations. Although we discuss the equality of the sexes, sometimes we go to far in our encouragement and ignore the differences. It is those differences in the way that men and women think, react and respond based on our hormonal levels and conditioning that make the inclusion of both male and female so important.