S O C I A L   P R I N C I P L E S
Women: unambiguous equality

For the first time in history, the Founder of a major world religion has explicitly stated that women and men are equal. The Bahá'í writings also state that:

  • Girls should be given preference over boys when educational opportunities and resources are limited.
  • In Bahá'í marriage, neither the husband nor the wife has a dominant voice.
  • Any apparent inequality between the capacities of women and men is due solely to the lack of educational opportunities so far open to women.

Around the world, women compose a high percentage of the elected national leadership in Bahá'í governing bodies (National Spiritual Assemblies).

AMERICA 37% 36% 38% 38% 37% 37%
EUROPE 28% 28% 29% 30% 32% 33%
AUSTRALAISIA 29% 30% 31% 28% 30% 28%
AFRICA 24% 22% 23% 22% 22% 21%
ASIA 17% 16% 18% 20% 20% 20%
  1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992

Aproximate Percent of Women serving on
National Spiritual Assemblies

  

 

 

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Excerpted from The Bahá'ís, a publication of the Bahá'í International Community.
Webpage Copyright © 1996, Unity Web Team.