Know thou that the distinction between male and female is an
exigency of the physical world and hath no connection with the spirit; for the
spirit and the world of the spirit are sanctified above such exigencies, and
wholly beyond the reach of such changes as befall the physical body in the
contingent world. In former ages, men enjoyed ascendancy over women because
bodily might reigned supreme and the spirit was subject to its dominion. In
this radiant age, however, since the power of the spirit hath transcended that
of the body and assumed its ascendancy, authority and dominion over the human
world, this physical distinction hath ceased to be of consequence; and, as the
sway and influence of the spirit have become apparent, women have come to be
the full equals of men. Today, therefore, there is no respect or circumstance
in which a person’s sex provideth grounds for the exercise of either discrimination
or favour. - ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; ‘Additional Tablets, Extracts and
Talks”; Online Baha’i Reference Library, Baha’i World Centre)
