Today questions of the utmost importance are facing
humanity, questions peculiar to this radiant century.... One of these questions
concerns the rights of woman and her equality with man. In past ages it was
held that woman and man were not equal -- that is to say, woman was considered
inferior to man, even from the standpoint of her anatomy and creation. She was
considered especially inferior in intelligence, and the idea prevailed
universally that it was not allowable for her to step into the arena of important
affairs. In some countries man went so far as to believe and teach that woman
belonged to a sphere lower than human. But in this century, which is the
century of light and the revelation of mysteries, God is proving to the
satisfaction of humanity that all this is ignorance and error; nay, rather, it
is well established that mankind and womankind as parts of composite humanity
are coequal and that no difference in estimate is allowable, for all are human.
The conditions in past centuries were due to woman's lack of opportunity. She
was denied the right and privilege of education and left in her undeveloped
state. Naturally, she could not and did not advance. In reality, God has
created all mankind, and in the estimation of God there is no distinction as to
male and female. The one whose heart is pure is acceptable in His sight, be
that one man or woman. God does not inquire, "Art thou woman or art thou
man?" He judges human actions. If these are acceptable in the threshold of
the Glorious One, man and woman will be equally recognized and rewarded.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk; ‘The Promulgation of
Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United
States and Canada in 1912’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Women)
