Women In Baha'i Faith
If there was one sentence that perfectly encapsulates the status of women in Baha'i faith, it would have to be the statement by its founder, Bahá’u’lláh-"All should know…Women and men have been and will always be equal in the sight of God." Bahá’u’lláh was born in Iran in the 19th century, and as such, this is the youngest of the world religion and may easily be the most progressive, even feminist, of all the religions. The essential Baha'i goal is the establishment of a single global society with a universal government, educational institutions, equality for all irrespective of gender, class, race, or creed. It unequivocally states that this cannot be achieved without the transformation of women's roles in society and that women in Baha'i faith should have equal participation in matters of governance, politics, and education.
The Baha'i writings also say that "As long as women are prevented from attaining their highest possibilities, so long will men be unable to achieve the greatness which might be theirs." They compare men and women to the two wings of a bird and the two hands of a human body, thus emphasizing their equal importance. For women in Baha'i faith, education plays an important role in erasing gender inequality. It is no wonder that the Baha'i writings even say that when financial resources are scarce, education of the girl child should be given precedence over that of the male children. It was believed that when women in Baha'i faith are educated, they would bring about world peace by refusing to send their sons to war or even to join the military, and as such, one of the few arenas of public life that women were not encouraged to participate in were positions in the military, as it was thought that the taking of a human life was incompatible with the basic motherly nature of women.
An important landmark in the history of women in Baha'i faith was the establishment of the Office of the Advancement of Women at the United Nations in New York by the Baha'i International Community. There is also the Tahirih Justice Center, which has so far helped nearly thousands of women and children escape from abusive situations. In India, the Barli Vocational Institute for Rural Women, in Madhya Pradesh, has educated tribal women to change their living conditions by training them to start small enterprises, teaching them about hygiene and the dangers of alcoholism, and even growing their own vegetables and becoming economically self sufficient.
Two of the most influential women in Baha'i faith are Tahirih and Bahiyyih Khanum. Bahiyyih Khanum was the daughter of the founder. She was active in social service during the first World War and even served as the acting leader of the Baha'i faith for a period of time. Tahirih was an inspirational poet and made history by appearing in public without a veil, breaking with the societal mores of her time. Several women in Baha'i faith have served as councellors and custodians of the International Baha'i Council throughout history, thus reiterating the Baha'i faith's support of women's rights.
Article by Karishma J. Anand
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Once in a month synopsis of all new page additions:
Dear friends,
We are adding 30 new pages to this site every month which covers topics related to Awakening the feminine, Feminism, Women in religion, Matriarchy, Women empowerment, Girl child, Mother earth news, Understanding men, Friends & relationships, Self discovery, Kali, Project-9 & Women’s power, Art & Science, Dance & Music, Women’s fashion, Women’s sexuality, Women’s health & fitness, Women & marriage, Rape, Prostitution and Drug abuse.
Please subscribe to the “once in a month synopsis of all new page additions” so that you can keep abreast with the latest additions on this site. Further this will also help you to revisit the site and study the details of the “topic of your interest”. Please note that the subscribing facility is available in all other WebPages featuring in this site and you need to subscribe “only once” and thereafter ignore this message in all other WebPages. To know more about us click on the "The Team" page.
Yours truly,
The Team
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer:
The authors are not responsible for any contents linked or referred to from his or her pages-unless he has full knowledge of illegal contents and would be able to prevent the visitors of his site from viewing those pages. If any damage occurs by the use of information presented there, only the author of the respective pages might be liable, not the one who has linked to these pages. Furthermore the authors are not liable for any postings or messages published by users of discussion boards, guest books or mailing lists provided on the "rise of womanhood" page. The authors are not psychiatrists or physician/medical doctors or legal attorneys of any sort. This website is not intended to replace medical, psychiatric or legal care. Please seek professional attention as needed. The information provided is not intended to replace obtaining medical evaluations and health care advice from qualified health care providers. This site's owner is providing information for reference only, and do not intend said Information to be used for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical conditions, or for any other purposes. The owner/authors of this site MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF SAID INFORMATION, OR THE FITNESS OF THE INFORMATION TO BE USED FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, LOSS, EXPENSE, OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND TO USER, OR TO ANY THIRD PARTY, RELATED TO THE USE OF SAID INFORMATION. Persons accessing any information of this web site, directly or indirectly, assume full responsibility for the use of the Information and understand and agree that the authors of rise-of-womanhood.org website is not responsible or liable for any claim, loss, or damage arising from the use of said information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Back to main page:
Return From Women In Baha'i Faith To Women & Religion
Related topics:
Women in Hinduism
Women in Christianity
Women in Islam
Women in Buddhism
Women in Jainism
Women in Judaism
Women in Sikhism
Similar topics:
Bahá'í Faith
Equality Of Men And Women
Women In Faith
