Promoting the Equality of Women and Men: The Role of the Covenant

Abstract

This essay explores the way the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh influences implementation of the principle of the equality of women and men. The roles of the Covenant in stimulating creative thought and promoting social change are discussed. General features of the application of Bahá’í law are examined, including progressive clarification, progressive application, the principle of convergence, and the exercise of restraint. All of these aspects are crucial in ensuring the eradication of the barriers to the attainment of the new society described in the document Who Is Writing the Future? They also guarantee that the change is enduring, and that it retains the diversity and freedom necessary for creative thought to flourish. These general principles are applied to an analysis of the implementation of the equality of the sexes, including the role of women in marriage and family life, in education, and in participation in the wider society.