International Women’s Day comes again March 8th and the world is weeping tears of sorrow for the loss of life and the displacement of peoples worldwide as a result of war and climate change. As a rational thinking people, it is acknowledged that the old methods of competition, aggression, amassing wealth for wealth’s sake, and the destruction of earth’s natural resources are not working. What is missing? The Power of Gender Equality.
“The world’s condition is pointing to the universal truth that humanity’s collective experiences are shared and that effective responses require the full spectrum of perspectives to be represented at every level of governance.
Women’s insights form the range of human experience and enable the construction of a fuller picture of reality. Often connected to large networks, women are an integral element of communal flourishing, community-based solutions, and mobilization. Whether as leaders in economic thinking, policymakers, climate activists, smallholder farmers, or through a multitude of other capacities, women worldwide are making significant contributions related to climate action, natural resource management, food security, and scientific innovation toward sustainable solutions. Young and old alike, the experiences of women offer profound insight into safeguarding humankind’s home, the present generation, and those still to come.
Amidst mounting climate risks, it is becoming clearer how much humanity benefits when women’s leadership is embraced and pro- moted at every level of society, whether in the family, community, local government, corporation, or nation. Qualities of leadership typically associated with the masculine—assertiveness and competitive- ness, for example—have proven limited when not tempered by those typically associated with the feminine, such as an inclination toward collaboration and inclusion, and a disposition toward care and selflessness. The tendency to prioritize longer-term interests, to consider the well-being of future generations, and to explore the human impact of policies more broadly are increasingly acknowledged as necessary tools in formulating environmentally conscious programs and strategies for building more resilient communities. Of course, these attributes can be manifested by leaders irrespective of sex. Yet, by increasing women’s participation in leadership roles, these qualities more consistently inform the culture of leadership and characterize practical strategies.
For there to be lasting transformation, a whole-of-society dedication to gender equality and a commitment to building a public life shaped by women and men in dynamic partnership in every facet of life will need to take root.” Excerpts--(Bahá’í International Community-The Climate Crisis as a Catalyst for a Culture of Equality—statement to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women—https://www.bic.org/statements/heart-resilience-climate-crisis-catalyst-culture-equality)
“In the estimation of God there is no gender. The one whose deeds are more worthy, whose sayings are better, whose accomplishments are more useful is nearest and dearest in the estimation of God, be that one male or female.” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá)
Humanity is mature enough to embrace gender equality.
Bahá’u’lláh compared the world of humanity to the human body. Within this organism, millions of cells, diverse in form and function, play their part in maintaining a healthy system. The principle that governs the functioning of the body is cooperation. Its various parts do not compete for resources; rather, each cell, from its inception, is linked to a continuous process of giving and receiving. Acceptance of the oneness of humanity demands that prejudice—whether racial, religious, or gender related—must be totally eliminated.