Baháʼí Faith and gender equality

Baháʼu'lláh noted that there was no distinction in the spiritual stations of men and women,[3] and that women and men were equal in the sight of God.[4] Baháʼu'lláh wrote:

Exalted, immensely exalted is He Who hath removed differences and established harmony...[T]he Pen of the Most High hath lifted distinctions from between His servants and handmaidens and ... hath conferred upon all a station and rank on the same plane.[1]

Instead of their gender, Baháʼu'lláh wrote that the spiritual station of each person depends on their recognition and devotion to God.[4] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá stated that God did not differentiate between people based on gender and that all were made in the image of God. He further stated that both women and men have the same potential for intelligence, virtue and prowess.[4]

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá stated that gender equality was not simply righting historical social injustices against women, but would serve as a key factor in wide-ranging societal changes that would help develop a new civilization in which more 'feminine' qualities such as tender-heartedness and receptivity would balance previously dominant 'masculine' forces.[4] The Baháʼí writings state that until women are provided equal status to men, humanity cannot advance or progress.[4] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá in a series of analogies has compared men and women to the two wings of a bird and the two hands of a human body and stated that both need to be strong to allow for advancement.[4] ʻAbdu'l-Baha wrote:

The world of humanity is possessed of two wings: the male and the female. So long as these two wings are not equivalent in strength, the bird will not fly. Until womankind reaches the same degree as man, until she enjoys the same arena of activity, extraordinary attainment for humanity will not be realized; humanity cannot wing its way to heights of real attainment. When the two wings or parts become equivalent in strength, enjoying the same prerogatives, the flight of man will be exceedingly lofty and extraordinary.[5]

Both Baháʼu'lláh and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá wrote that an important aspect of world unity will be a greater balance between feminine and masculine influences on society, and stated that because of the greater feminine influence that wars will cease and a permanent peace attained.[2] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá wrote that women, as mothers, would be a force in establishing peace as they would oppose sending their children to war.[6] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá wrote:

War and its ravages have blighted the world; the education of woman will be a mighty step toward its abolition and ending, for she will use her whole influence against war. Woman rears the child and educates the youth to maturity. She will refuse to give her sons for sacrifice upon the field of battle. In truth, she will be the greatest factor in establishing universal peace and international arbitration. Assuredly, woman will abolish warfare among mankind.[7]

Moojan Momen writes that the goal of achieving equality of women and men in the Baháʼí Faith does not amount to bringing women into power in masculine roles, but instead a more radical change to the very nature of society, to make feminine qualities more valued.[8]

In the Baháʼí view, women have always been equal to men, and the reason why women have not achieved this equality yet is because of the lack of adequate educational and social opportunities.[2] Thus Baháʼí teachings stress the need for women's education, not only as a means to increase opportunity for women to help achieve equality, but also since the education of mothers is essential to the proper upbringing of children.[9] Because of the importance of the education of women, the education of daughters takes precedence over that of sons when financial resources do not exist to educate all of the children of a family.[9] Despite the linkage between motherhood and education, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá encouraged women to excel in arts and sciences, and stated that women's participation in the political sphere would be a prerequisite for peace.[9]

Táhirih was an influential poet and follower of the Bábí faith, the predecessor to the Baháʼí Faith, and often mentioned in Baháʼí literature as an example of courage in the struggle for women's rights. While the writings of Táhirih do not address the issue of women's rights precisely, Táhirih experienced the Báb's revelation as liberating, and broke with Islamic practices that were expected of women, such as appearing in public without a veil at the Conference of Badasht.[12] Her actions which were out of norm caused controversy in the community and some saw her as scandalous or unchaste. To combat the attitudes of the community against Táhirih, the Báb gave her the title Táhirih, meaning the "pure."[12] An unverified quote has been attributed to Táhirih by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá[13] about her final utterance in 1852: "You can kill me as soon as you like, but you cannot stop the emancipation of women." According to some scholars this quote is "perhaps apocryphal".[12]

Bahíyyih Khánum in 1895

Bahíyyih Khánum was born in 1846 and was the eldest daughter of Baháʼu'lláh and Ásíyih Khánum.[14] She was entitled the Greatest holy Leaf.[15] She was particularly dear to her father and is seen within the Baháʼí Faith as one of the greatest women to have lived.[15] During World War I, she distributed food, clothing and medical aid to the starving local population.[14] During the periods her brother was away in America, and after his death when Shoghi Effendi was named the head of the religion, but away on retreats, Bahíyyih Khánum was empowered as the acting leader of the Baháʼí Faith, which was a rare position for a woman to be in at that time.[14][15] She died on 15 July 1932 was buried in the Baháʼí gardens below the Baháʼí Arc on Mount Carmel; the Monument of the Greatest Holy Leaf was built in her memory at the Baháʼí World Centre.[14]

Hands of the Cause were a select group of Baháʼís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Baháʼí Faith. Unlike the members of the elected institutions and other appointed institutions in the Baháʼí Faith, who serve in those offices, these are considered to have demonstrated sincerity and praiseworthy morals and qualities and achieved a distinguished rank in service to the religion and an overall station above a National Spiritual Assembly[17] as well as individual members of the Universal House of Justice – indeed it is the highest station that could be achieved open to anyone in the religion.[18] The title is no longer given out. The work of the Hands of the Cause is now carried out by the Continental Counsellors and the Auxiliary Boards.

Eight out of the fifty known Hands of the Cause were women (in order of appointment):

• Keith Ransom-Kehler (1876–1933) (singled out as the first woman Hand of the Cause and first American martyr)[19]
• Martha Root (1872–1939) (singled out as the foremost Hand of the Cause of the first Baháʼí century and the "first finest fruit" of the Formative Age.)[20][21]
• Dorothy Beecher Baker (1898–1954)
• Amelia Engelder Collins (1873–1962)
• Clara Dunn (1869–1960)
• Corinne Knight True (1861–1961)
• Rúhíyyih Khánum (1910–2000)
• Agnes Baldwin Alexander (1875–1971)

During the period between the death of Shoghi Effendi and the election of the Universal House of Justice the Hands of the Cause held a convocation from which they constituted a body of nine from among their number to serve in the Holy Land and to act as Custodians of the Baháʼí Faith, a body which functioned without officers and with a quorum of five, whose duties included taking care of Baháʼí World Center properties and other assets; corresponding with and advising National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies; acting on behalf of the Baháʼí Faith for its protection; and maintaining close contact with the rest of the Hands, who would henceforth devote their time to the successful completion of the goals of the Ten Year Crusade.[22] The Hands of the Cause maintained the number of Custodians, replacing those who died or were unable, for health or personal reasons, to remain at the Baháʼí World Center permanently. Of these nine, 2 women served as Custodians: Amelia Collins and Rúhíyyih Khánum.

The International Baháʼí Council was a nine-member council as a precursor to the Universal House of Justice, which replaced it in 1963. In March 1951 Shoghi Effendi began appointing its membership[23] and in 1961 elections were held (and once elections were the rule, Hands of the Cause were exempted from being members.) The women members of the International Baháʼí Council, and their dates of their service were:[24]

• Rúhíyyih Khanum (1951–61) Liaison with Shoghi Effendi; Hand of the Cause of God
• Amelia Collins (1951–61) Vice president; Hand of the Cause
• Jessie Revell (1951–63) Treasurer
• Ethel Revell (1951–63) Western Assistant Secretary
• Gladys Weeden (1951–52)
• Sylvia Ioas (1955–61)
• Mildred Mottahedeh (1961–63)

After the election of the Universal House of Justice, boards of counsellors were created in 1973 by appointment who outrank the national assemblies, though individually counsellors ranked lower than that of the Hands of the Cause.[25] There are 90 counsellors – 81 serving on continental boards and 9 serving at the International Teaching Center.[26][27] From a picture of a gathering of all counselors in 2005 a number of them are clearly women.[28] The number of counselors acting as members of the International Teaching Center have varied. Initially, excluding the Hands of the Cause (all of whom were initial members.) From 1980 to 2000 there were 9 total counselors and four of them were women.[29] Since 2000 the number of women counselors serving at the ITC has been five of the nine. Not counting the Hands of the Cause, the women and their years of service are:[30]

• Florence Mayberry (1973–1983)
• Anneliese Bopp (1979–1988)
• Dr. Magdalene Carney (1983–1991)
• Isobel Sabri (1983–1992)
• Lauretta King (1988–2003)
• Joy Stevenson (1988–1998)
• Joan Lincoln (1993–2013)
• Kimiko Schwerin (1993–1998)
• Violette Haake (1998–2008)
• Dr. Penny Walker (1998–2013)
• Zenaida Ramirez (2000–2013)
• Rachel Ndegwa (2003- )
• Uransaikhan Granfar (2008–2018)
• Alison Milston (2013–2018)
• Edith Senoga (?)
• Antonella Demonte (2013- )
• Mehranguiz Farid Tehrani (2013- )
• Gloria Javid (2018- )
• Dr. Holly Woodard (2018- )

The percent of women serving as counselors rose from 24% of 63 counselors in 1980 to 48% of 81 counselors serving worldwide.[29]

Women serve on National Assemblies. Baháʼí elections are secret ballots and electees are chosen without running for office on plurality up to the number of members of the institution. That women could be elected was in development by 1909 when the Baha'i temple unity executive board was elected in the United States. Of the nine members chosen, three were women, with Corinne True (later appointed as a Hand of the Cause) serving as an officer.[31] The all-male administrative bodies finally were completely dissolved by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá in his visit to America in 1912. By 1925 the executive board evolved into the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States and Canada. There were specific developments in the eastern Baháʼí communities in 1951. At this time women were allowed to be and were elected according to the rules of Baháʼí administration to local assemblies of the Baháʼí Faith in Egypt.[32] (indeed some were elected officers in 1952.)[33] However, as late as the 1970s one observer could only count two women delegates out of the more than one hundred attending the national Baha'i convention in Teheran. Yet when the members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Iran were arrested and executed in 1981, the chairperson was a woman, Zhinus Mahmudi.[31] However a statistical review across continents and for the Baha'is world population shows a general upward track of women being elected to national assemblies (see graphs.) A similar pattern exists for women serving in appointed positions.[34]

Percentage of Women serving on Baháʼí National Spiritual Assemblies by continental region Source: Baha'i World Centre (March 10, 2008). "Percentage of National Spiritual Assembly members who are women, 1953-2007". Statistics. Baháʼí Library Online. Retrieved 2010-08-08..

Percentage of Women serving on Baháʼí National Spiritual Assemblies by continental region Source: Baha'i World Centre (March 10, 2008). "Percentage of National Spiritual Assembly members who are women, 1953-2007". Statistics. Baháʼí Library Online. Retrieved 2010-08-08..

The world average of women serving on National Assemblies had reached rates of 31% as early as 1953, been above 31% continuously since 1996, and reached 39% in 2007, the last date for which data is currently available.[35]