A matter of faith

Although both women and men are eligible to serve in the elective and appointive institutions of the Bahá'í Faith at all other levels, the membership of the Universal House of Justice is limited to men. Bahá'u'lláh Himself outlined this stipulation, and it is therefore an unchangeable aspect of the Bahá'í Faith, as is the responsibility of the House of Justice to promote the full equality of the sexes.

Bahá'u'lláh gave no clarification of this feature of Bahá'í administration. Accordingly, although individual Bahá'ís speculate on reasons, there is no official position on the issue. All that can be said at this time is that it is a matter of faith.

`Abdu'l-Bahá said that the wisdom behind this stipulation would become clear in the future. It will, He said, "ere long be made manifest as clear as the sun at high noon."