We celebrated International Women’s Day on 8 March making this an opportune time to reflect on the importance of gender equality as a requirement of justice, peace and prosperity.
Women and men complement each other in their roles and functions. The happiness and stability of humanity cannot be assured unless both are perfected and treated as equals. The well-being of mankind depends on the development of the potential virtues and abilities of every individual, regardless of gender, race, nationality, class or religion.
The equality of women and men, in the Bahá’í view, is an essential aspect of a broader principle: the oneness of humanity.
In the context of the oneness of humanity, gender equality is not only a requirement of justice but it is a pre-requisite for peace and prosperity.
“Fundamental to the Bahá’í world-view is the concept of the oneness and wholeness of the human race, of which the equality of men and women is a vital and clearly stated spiritual and social principle, conducive to personal integration and social cohesion”.
Implementation of gender equality is vital to the future well-being of humanity and is a prerequisite to world peace. The denial of such equality is an injustice against one half of the world’s population.
According to a statement of the Bahá’í International Community, entitled ‘The Prosperity of Humankind’: “To any objective observer the principle of the equality of the sexes is fundamental to all realistic thinking about the future well-being of the earth and its people”, and “Women and men,” is Bahá’u’lláh’s emphatic assertion, “have been and will always be equal in the sight of God”.
The rational soul has no sex, and whatever social inequities may have been dictated by the survival requirements of the past, they clearly cannot be justified at a time when humanity stands at the threshold of maturity.
Education plays a very important role in achieving gender equality. The way must be open for women to enter equally all spheres of human endeavour, including the arts and sciences, agriculture, commerce, industry and the affairs of state. There is no natural limit on women’s abilities.
Women will not only render service to humanity as first educators of the next generation, but they also have special contributions to make to the creation of peace and a just world order.
“The creation of a peaceful and sustainable world civilization,” in the Bahá’í view, “will be impossible without the full participation of women in every arena of human activity” and “when women participate fully and equally in the affairs of the world… war will cease”.
The change or transition required for bringing about equality between women and men is an evolutionary process requiring education and patience with oneself and others, as well as an unshakable determination.
For feedback please contact: tshwane@bahai.org.za; or call 083-794-0819
Websites: www.bahai.org, www.bahai.org.za
