August – a month designated as the National Women’s Month – is a reminder of the important contributions women make to our society and of the need for greater commitment to achieve full gender equality.
Although there has been significant improvement in the status of women and girls in the last few decades, women are still frequently not treated as equals in their families or in society and the conventional beliefs that women are inferior to men make them easy targets for anger, frustration and violence.
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. As stated in the Bahá’í Writings “The world of humanity has two wings — one is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible” and “the happiness of mankind will be realized when women and men coordinate and advance equally, for each is the complement and helpmeet of the other”.
Equality of men and women will bring about a more balanced world, a world in which the more masculine qualities of force and courage will be balanced by intuition, love and service; qualities in which women are strong.
There are no acceptable grounds – biological, social or moral – to justify denying women equality with men. According to the Bahá’í Writing: “… men and women are equal in the sight of God. … The only difference between them now is due to lack of education and training. If woman is given equal opportunity of education, distinction and estimate of inferiority will disappear”.
The progress and empowerment of women and attaining their rightful status, is fundamental to the future well-being of the earth and its people. The emancipation of women is not only necessary for the future well-being of humanity; it is also a requirement of justice, and it is a prerequisite to world peace.
In one of its messages, the Universal House of Justice, the governing council of the Bahá’í international community states: “… 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 civilization”.
It is the Bahá’í view that, only when women are welcomed into full partnership with men in all fields, the moral and psychological climate will be created in which peace can emerge and a just and united world civilization can develop and flourish.
For feedback please contact: tshwane@bahai.org.za; or call 083-794-0819
Websites: www.bahai.org, www.bahai.org.za
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