From Letters Written on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice
32: To the general premise that women and men have equality in the Faith,...
To the general premise that women and men have equality in the Faith, this, as often explained by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is a fundamental principle deriving from Bahá’u’lláh and therefore His mention of the “Men of Justice” in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas should be considered in light of that principle....
(29 June 1976 to an individual believer) [32]
33: ...‘Abdu’l-Bahá asserts: “In this divine age the bounties of God have...
...‘Abdu’l-Bahá asserts: “In this divine age the bounties of God have encompassed the world of women. Equality of men and women, except in some negligible instances, has been fully and categorically announced. Distinctions have been utterly removed.” That men and women differ from one another in certain characteristics and functions is an inescapable fact of nature; the important thing is that He regards such inequalities as remain between the sexes as being “negligible”.
(8 January 1981 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States) [33]
34: You are quite right in stating that men and women have basic and distinct...
You are quite right in stating that men and women have basic and distinct qualities. The solution provided in the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is not, as you correctly observe, for men to become women, and for women to become men. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave us the key to the problem when He taught that the qualities and functions of men and women “complement” each other. He further elucidated this point when He said that the “new age” will be “an age in which the masculine and feminine elements of civilization will be more properly balanced.”
(22 April 1981 to an individual believer) [34]
35: It may be helpful to stress ... that the Bahá’í principle of the...
It may be helpful to stress ... that the Bahá’í principle of the equality of men and women is clearly stated in the teachings, and the fact that there is diversity of function between them in certain areas does not negate this principle.
(23 August 1984 to two believers) [35]