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Flora Teckie
A Baha’i Perspective
As we mark International Women’s Day tomorrow, it is timely to reflect on the complementary roles of women and men, and how recognition of this, and implementing equality, can lead to a more balanced and peaceful world.
Considering that men and women complement each other in their roles and functions, the happiness and stability of humanity cannot be assured unless both are given the same rights, opportunities, and privileges.
According to the Bahá’í Writings: “World of humanity is possessed of two wings: the male and the female. So long as these two wings are not equivalent in strength, the bird will not fly.
“Until womankind reaches the same degree as man, until she enjoys the same arena of activity, extraordinary attainment for humanity will not be realised; humanity cannot wing its way to heights of real attainment”.
Of course, there has been improvements in terms of education and regarding the status of women in society, in the last few decades.
But despite this, women are frequently not treated as equals in their families or in their communities, and the conventional beliefs that women are inferior to men make them easy targets for discrimination, anger, and violence.
In a statement to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the Baháí International Community asserts: “Women and men are equal, and always have been.
This is a spiritual truth whose expression in the world has been suppressed throughout most of history, owing in part to imbalanced systems and structures that have long favoured men’s progress and participation over women’s,” and “until these inequalities are thoroughly uprooted from the fabric of society, humanity will remain mired in the conflict, despair, confusion, and imbalance that have come to define much of modern life”.
The complementary roles of men and women
The principle of gender equality does not imply sameness or identity of function.
The Universal House of Justice, the governing council of the Baháí international community, states that: “Equality between men and women does not, indeed physiologically it cannot, mean identity of function.
In some things women excel men, in others men are better than women, while in very many things the difference in sex is of no effect at all”.
For example, in a family both parents share in the overall responsibility of educating their children, but the mother is given recognition and privilege of being their first educator.
Recognising and implementing gender equality in our families, communities, and at national and international levels, is crucial to the well-being of humanity.
The denial of such equality is an injustice against one half of the world’s population.
The governing council of the Baháí International Community further states that: “… the equality of men and women is …a universal spiritual truth about an aspect of the nature of human beings … It is, above all, a requirement of justice.
This principle is consonant with the highest rectitude of conduct, its application strengthens family life, and it is essential to the regeneration and progress of any nation, the peace of the world, and the advancement of civilisation”.
The complementary roles of men and women also imply that, if one is defective, the other also cannot attain to perfection.
As stated in the Bahá’í Writings: “As long as women are prevented from attaining their highest possibilities, so long will men be unable to achieve the greatness which may be theirs”.
Education will play a key role in creating a balanced world.
The education of everyone, and the development of their personality, talents, mental and physical abilities, and spiritual qualities to their fullest potential, is the right of everyone, whether man and woman.
The Bahá’í Writings state that: “… if woman be fully educated and granted her rights, she will attain the capacity for wonderful accomplishments and prove herself the equal of man.
“She is the coadjutor of man, his complement and helpmeet. Both are human, both are endowed with potentialities of intelligence and embody the virtues of humanity.
“In all human powers and functions, they are partners and co-equals. At present in spheres of human activity a woman does not manifest her natal prerogatives owing to lack of education and opportunity. Without doubt education will establish her equality with men ”
Our challenge today is to create the conditions in which women and girls can develop to their full potential. The creation of such conditions will involve not only deliberate attempts to change various structures of society, but, equally importantly, to bring about the transformation of individuals. Women — given the opportunity for equality in education — will not only render service to humanity as mothers and first educators of the next generation, but, will make special contributions to the creation of a just world order.
It is stated in the Baháí Writings that: “Until the reality of equality between man and woman is fully established and attained, the highest social development of mankind is not possible”.
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