Bahá’ís of Zambia
“The world of humanity has two wings—one is women and the other men,” wrote ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. “Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible.”
In this small selection of passages and quotations, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains how human success and prosperity depend on the achievement of equality.
When all mankind shall receive the same opportunity of education and the equality of men and women be realized, the foundations of war will be utterly destroyed. Without equality this will be impossible because all differences and distinction are conducive to discord and strife. Equality between men and women is conducive to the abolition of warfare for the reason that women will never be willing to sanction it.
— The Promulgation of Universal Peace
And among the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is the equality of women and men. The world of humanity has two wings—one is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible. Not until the world of women becomes equal to the world of men in the acquisition of virtues and perfections, can success and prosperity be attained as they ought to be.
— Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
In this day man must investigate reality impartially and without prejudice in order to reach the true knowledge and conclusions. What, then, constitutes the inequality between man and woman? Both are human. In powers and function each is the complement of the other. At most it is this: that woman has been denied the opportunities which man has so long enjoyed, especially the privilege of education.
— The Promulgation of Universal Peace