Equality of Women and Men

The equality of women and men is a fundamental tenet of Bahá’í belief. The relationship of equality to world peace is central to Bahá’í thinking on this issue and is one of the main themes of several Bahá’í statements presented to United Nations meetings. For full equality to be realized, priority must be given to the education of women, starting with more investment in the education of the girl child. Essential too is the partnership of men in working towards the day when women have full equality with men in all aspects of social life. The Bahá’í Community of Canada encouraged its members to attend the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, resulting in the largest delegation of self-supporting participants from Canada to attend that event. For the past three years the community has had one or two official representatives attend the U.N. sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women.

According to the spirit of this age, women must advance and fulfill their mission in all departments of life, becoming equal to men. They must be on the same level as men and enjoy equal rights. This is my earnest prayer and it is one of the fundamental principles of Bahá’u’lláh.¹

Read more about the Bahá’í understanding of equality between women and men.