Not often does it fall to individuals to be a part of history in the
making. For the few who are given that privilege, its true value can
only be estimated only in hindsight. More than 150 years ago in a garden
at Badasht, Tahireh - Iranian poet and revolutionary - renounced her
veil and before the stunned participants announced through the power of
this deed a new age in the cause of women. Four years later, at the
moment of her execution, she cried "You can kill me as soon as you like
but you cannot stop the emancipation of women".
One and a half
centuries later, and a decade into a new millennium, I pause to remember
Tahireh, and all those men and women since, who have kept the flame of
her cause burning brightly down all the years and passed this torch on
to our generation here today; another people, another land, another
century. In my mind they remain with us, and will continue to inspire
and guide us just as we too must inspire and guide the generations still
to come.
The Connection Between Education and Emancipation
In the globally disseminated statement "The Promise of World Peace"
the Universal House of Justice describes the important connection
between education and discrimination, stating "...ignorance is
indisputably the principal reason...for the perpetuation of prejudice."
More
and more we realise that if we are to change the cruel, destructive
ways in which human beings treat one another, we must first change the
way they think, and the things they value. Highlighting the supreme
urgency of re-educating the souls and minds of humanity, H. G. Wells
said "Human history becomes more and more a race between education and
catastrophe."
A crucial aspect of this education which is
necessary if we are to avert catastrophe and bring balance to the
present state of disequilibrium, and which will eventually contribute to
a new definition of humanity, is the process which some have called the
'feminisation' of the planet.
'Abdu'l Baha, son of Baha'u'llah, Prophet Founder of the Baha'i Faith, described this process;
"The
world in the past has been ruled by force and man has dominated over
woman by reason of his more forceful and aggressive qualities both of
body and mind. But the scales are already shifting, force is losing its
weight, and mental alertness, intuition and the spiritual qualities of
love and service, in which woman is strong, are gaining ascendancy.
Hence the new age will be an age less masculine and more permeated with
the feminine ideals, or, to speak more exactly, will be an age in which
the masculine and feminine elements of civilisation will be more
properly balanced."
The first entry in Collins Dictionary defining
the word education is " the act or process of acquiring knowledge...".
This broad definition vastly extends the sphere of education beyond that
limited and formalised type of education provided by the state school
system. Clearly 'the act or process by which we acquire knowledge' takes
place on many levels. One purpose of this paper is to identify some of
the primary ways in which we have acquired our present beliefs about the
role and value of the sexes, and to suggest positive directions for
future educational change.
True Education Creates Enduring Change
The real value of education lies in how it permanently changes our
behaviour and our thoughts. Professor B. F. Skinner offers this
definition; "Education is what survives when what has been learnt has
been forgotten." People can learn to behave in outwardly politically
correct ways, but the real challenge is to so internalise new values
that they become an inseparable part of the individual. This is what
Baha'u'llah asks of us when He calls for us to become "a new race of
men." Steven Covey, author of "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" says
"What we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or
do." How you behave in your day-to-day life is a truer indication of
your inner beliefs than are the words you speak. For this reason we need
to focus upon our deeds rather than our words. Baha'u'llah says "The
reality of man is his thought, not his material body". In seeking to
promote the advancement of women, we need to retrain thoughts,
attitudes, beliefs and values. We need to do this for ourselves as
individuals, but we also seek to influence others at every level of our
personal and collective lives.
A popular catch cry of feminism has
been the statement that "The personal is political". "The Promise of
World Peace" describes how personal attitudes do indeed have political
and international consequences, stating that denial of equality
"promotes...harmful attitudes and habits that are carried from the
family to the workplace, to political life, and ultimately to
international relations."
In the article 'Training for the Year
2000', James Aggrey maintains that the education of girls is of the
greater importance because "To educate a man is to educate a single
individual, but to educate a woman is to educate an entire nation." The
words of William Ross Wallace that 'The hand that rocks the cradle Is
the hand that rules the world' have become legendary.
An earlier
quotation from 'The Promise' described how inequality promotes harmful
attitudes and habits which men carry with them into all spheres of life.
It continues by saying "Only as women are welcomed into full
partnership in all fields of human endeavour will the moral and
psychological climate be created in which international peace can
emerge" and in the subsequent paragraph states "...it is through
educated mothers that the benefits of knowledge can be most effectively
and rapidly diffused throughout society."
Here then are two key factors in the education and feminisation of our society;
* the education of women which will enable them to participate
equally in all fields of human endeavour and in doing so become in
themselves a source of education; a 'feminising influence' to others
* the crucial role played by women in the education of the coming generation
The Education of Men is Crucial to True Equality
It is impossible to consider the issue of the advancement of women
as belonging to women alone. In fact the Universal House of Justice
states it is an issue that men too must own;
"It is important to acknowledge that the wellbeing and advancement
of men is impossible as long as women remain disadvantaged. Men can not
be happy whilst women are oppressed, and neither can they hope to remain
unaffected by the changes women are making for themselves. The growth
and development of women needs to be balanced by complementary growth
and development on the part of men."
Poet and pacifist Robert Bly stated:
"Contemporary
man is lost... damaged by a childhood lack of contact with a strong
male figure to initiate him into manhood. He has become a "soft' or
naive' male, who, by rejecting the aggressive and obnoxious male traits
that he has been taught women dislike, has also abandoned the forceful
and heroic aspects of masculinity, to the detriment of society."
Christchurch
psychotherapist Paul Baakman bluntly observed "No wonder when boys grow
up they can't talk with other men, they've never learnt to talk with
their bloody fathers."
The N.Z. Dominion newspaper carried a
report of an 11-country study of parental involvement with children. The
study reported that "Preschoolers worldwide are alone with their
fathers on average less than one waking hour a day...". In their survey
of the routines of four-year-olds, researchers found young children were
rarely in the sole care of their fathers, regardless of the culture,
and the article quoted an editor of the study as saying that "It
certainly indicates that the rhetoric of equality and the male taking
his share of the responsibility for child-rearing is a lot of talk but
certainly not a lot of action."
Sandra Coney writing in the N.Z.
Sunday Star Times (22.1.95) describes how faulty perception of male
roles in society creates negative behaviour patterns which may have
contributed to that country having the world's highest youth suicide
rate, reporting;
"Research by the Alcohol and Public Health
Research Unit at Auckland University found low self esteem was the
dominant characteristic of today's young men.
The men's peer group
was their principle source of belonging, support and acceptance. The
group's solidarity was reinforced by drunken, foolish exploits which won
approval and became part of the lore of the group.
Women
threatened the young men and the cohesion of the group. They represented
commitment, responsibility and the possibility of rejection. The men
protected themselves from this by being hostile and offensive around
women.
The cultural context we provide for young men is all wrong.
We expect, even tolerate their antisocial behaviour. Fathers provide
poor role models as husbands and fail to develop emotionally close
relationships with their boys."
And, as final evidence of the
faulty role modelling of males in Western society, let's not forget
comedian Rod Dangerfield who also suffered from low self esteem as a
child, and complained; "Once I told my father, 'Nobody likes me'. He
said, 'Don't say that - everybody hasn't met you yet." "
The need
to develop positive sex roles is common to both men and women, and
presents an important challenge for our communities in order to heal
past sufferings and bring about personal transformation, through
identifying and developing strong options for the future. As Elizabeth
Kubler Ross said; "I'm not OK, you're not OK, but that's OK".
'Abdu'l-Baha
emphasises that the equality of men and women presents issues which
will negatively affect us all until they are resolved;
"Until the
equality between men and women is established and attained, the highest
social development of mankind is not possible....Until woman and man
recognise and realise equality, social and political progress will not
be possible."
Supporting the advancement of women is clearly in
the interests of men, on many levels. Because women are the first and
most influential trainers of sons, their development will in turn enrich
men, who will be better educated from the earliest years at the hands
of proficient mothers. When fully one half of the world's human
resources, lying largely untapped in the hearts and minds of women, are
released and developed, the potential for global transformation on every
level is profound. Therefore, in view of the eventual advantages to
both males and females, it is easy to see why Abdu'l-Baha states "The
woman is indeed of the greater importance to the race. She has the
greater burden and the greater work..." '
New Concepts of Power
Many people have felt the need to coin new terms for the advancement
of women that are not burdened with the negative associations many now
attach to the word 'feminism'. The term 'feminisation' has already been
mentioned. Another phrase used by Maori in New Zealand-"mana
wahine"-refers to a recognition of the rights of a woman to participate
in all aspects of society. Until recently there have been clear
distinctions between politically feminist and more spiritually-inspired
thought. Feminism has focussed strongly on the achievement of equality
through the acquisition of power by women. The spiritually-inspired
ideal seeks power too, but in a different context. The development of a
more balanced view was expressed in the opening address at the 1985
Nairobi Conference on Women by the Conference Secretary-General who
commented ;
"Power, as it is increasingly seen by women today, is
not a means of dominating others but rather an instrument to influence
political, social and economic processes to create a more humane and
democratic world. Will this vision be translated into reality? Let us
hope so."
In this context women seek the power to influence, to
have access to areas of human endeavour where our voices can be heard
and our feminising influence, our 'mana wahine', felt. We seek for men
to actively support us in becoming more educated, more influential. One
potent means of educating others is through the 'power' of example.
Role Modelling
Role modelling is a popular term for what is referred to in Baha'i
teaching as 'the dynamic force of example'. Tahireh was an early
champion of this influence, in her challenging words to "Let deeds, not
words, be your adorning." 'Abdu'l-Baha offered the example of His own
life, saying; "Look at Me, follow Me, be as I am". The Universal House
of Justice calls upon the Baha'i community to be a model.
Women
have always exerted a strong yet often unacknowledged influence upon
following generations through the power of their own lives. Macho
Australian league player Alan Jones said; "What Australia needs today
are examples and heroes, people and standards to look up to and live by.
My mother will always be my hero."
The powerful attraction
exerted by mothers makes them important teachers and role models for
better or for worse, whether they do so consciously or unconsciously.
Even the physical proximity of mothers is powerfully attractive; Helen
Keller recalled; "I used to sit on my mother's knee all day long because
it amused me to feel the movements of her lips and I moved my lips too,
although I had forgotten what talking was."
The creation of more
role models for young women was considered to be one of the lasting
benefits of Women's Suffrage Year. Our communities need to consider how
we can promote good role models for both our male and female children,
within our families and within wider society, in day-to-day life and in
their formal education.
Women's History
How well does the present system of state education promote healthy
sex role attitudes? Personally speaking, my own experience of school
inclines me to the same view as rugby-playing All Black Andy Haden who
said "I make no secret of the fact that I went to school to eat my
lunch"
Does the content of our formal education promote healthy
attitudes free from prejudice or is prejudice still perpetuated in ways
which are especially dangerous because they are so insidious, subtle and
deceptive? Our present education system is in reality only a narrow
slice of human knowledge; it omits the input of many cultures and, with
few exceptions, fully one half the world's population since it is
largely the history and knowledge of men. It denies intuition, and
creates an artificial separation of church and state, of science and
religion, of materialism and human values.
For example, Rosalind
Miles, in 'Review of The Women's History of the World' tells us what we
could have been, but were not, taught, that;
"Aspatia, a women of Miletos was Plato's principle teacher.
Aristoclea, another woman, taught Pythgoras.
In
the fourth-century Alexandria, Hypatia, again, a woman, invented the
astrolabe, the planisphere and a hydroscope, Artemesia in the command of
the fleet, defeated the skilful Athenians near Salamis.
Mary
Reiber was transported to Australia in 1790 at the age of 13, for
stealing a horse; she was to become a grain trader, hotelier, importer,
property developer and shipping magnate."
It is no surprise that
girls have grown up burdened by a belief that they have only a narrow
sphere of influence and opportunity in the world, whilst males have an
opposite but also burdening belief that they must know everything. This
societal pressure has produced what was wittily described in an article
called "Male Answer Syndrome; Why men always have opinions, even on
subjects they know nothing about." I admit the tone of this article is a
little flippant and unscholarly, but readers who are able to approach
it with a sense of scientific detachment can easily recognise the key
point, which is of course an exposure of the tragedy of faulty sex role
stereotyping.
Mothering
Politically-slanted feminist conceptions of power usually diminish
the role of motherhood with its attendant physical and historical
limitations and restrictions. Spiritually-based teachings on equality
place great emphasis on the role of women as mothers. Indeed, this is
the area in which women have the greatest manifestation of their power.
'Abdu'l-Baha states that the greatest of all ways to worship God is to
educate the children and that no nobler deed than this can be imagined,
thus acknowledging the primacy of mothers in their capacity to shape
minds and souls during a child's most formative period. In this context
it is mothers who, upon receiving the necessary education and resources
to maximise their own potential, can "..determine the happiness, the
future greatness, the courteous ways and learning and judgment, the
understanding and faith of their little ones."
The role of women
in educating children, particularly in early childhood, provides the
vital foundation for the collective education of humanity, for it is in
early childhood that values are most effectively transmitted from one
generation to the next, and "....it is through educated mothers that the
benefits of knowledge can be most effectively and rapidly diffused
throughout society." It follows that the role of the family in the
advancement of women is a crucial one for it is here that attitudes are
most rapidly and effectively disseminated from the individual to the
family and ultimately to the world.
Therefore, in considering future directions in the advancement of women, primary considerations include;
* raising the status and perceived value of mothering
* providing training and resourcing for women to become competent mothers
* developing and promoting quality parenting programmes
* investigating and demonstrating how such mothering is compatible with full participation in wider human society
* providing good role models of this compatibility
* educating and supporting fathers, and providing strong role models
*fostering an understanding and value of the importance of families to the world
*fostering the development of scholarship and literature to develop new models for mothers, fathers, families, workplaces etc.
The Transmission of Values
A primary function of the mother is to teach good character and
conduct, to train the children in values. Without morals or values,
education can become as much a source of harm as advancement.
G.M.Trevelyan observed of education that it "...has produced a vast
population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth
reading."
There appears to be one noteworthy exception to the
lesser role into which men have traditionally cast women. Those values
which men may not be able to recognise in women collectively, they are
often able to appreciate in their own mothers. The musician Glenn Miller
testified to his mother's training in values, describing her as "The
inspirational head of a family in which she tried hard to establish an
exceptionally high code of morality and a really deep-seated and lasting
mutual love."
Len Evans said of his mother; "There was great
love, affection and care, but there was also a rigid code of conduct
which followed her perception of exactly what was right or
wrong...inflexible, stubborn perhaps, but also totally honest, upright,
endearing and supportive. A woman to be reckoned with."
The
development of courses such as The Virtues Project, a global grassroots
initiative inspiring the practice of virtues in everyday life, have
proven to be effective first steps in helping mothers and fathers raise a
new generation committed to equity, justice, cooperation, peacefulness
and those other divine qualities which will transform individuals,
galvanise nations, and unite the world.
Ultimately, all those who
labour in the cause of the emancipation of women must realise that
concepts of equality, unity and equity are spiritual concepts. Their
true attainment is reached only through spiritual striving, They cannot
be lobbied, legislated or demonstrated for. Feminism for the most part
seeks to create outer forms and representations of equality, but it is
not looking to the only sure and underlying source of sustained unity
which is achieved through spiritual education which begins in the
family.
Peace Issues
New Zealand is distinguished for being the first country in the
world to grant votes for women; it is also a country distinguished for
horrific loss of life on the battlefields of the twentieth century.
"My poor little New Zealand" said James Herbert Henderson. "Exporting frozen meat in peace, live meat in war."
Women
are the most important factor in world peace; surely the present day
battlefield of women, having attained distinction in winning the vote,
is to become distinguished in the pursuit of a peace which will preserve
the lives of sons and grandsons to come. The Universal House of Justice
states;
"The emancipation of women, the achievement of full
equality between the sexes, is one of the most important, though less
acknowledged prerequisites of peace. The denial of such equality
perpetuates an injustice against one half of the world's population and
promotes in men harmful habits that are carried from the family to the
workplace, to political life, and ultimately to international relations.
There are no grounds, moral, practical, or biological upon which such
denial can be justified. Only as women are welcomed into full
partnership in all fields of human endeavour will the moral and
psychological climate be created in which international peace can
emerge."
The peace which spiritually-minded women seek is not to
be gained by waving banners and lobbying politicians, but by creating in
our human society a climate both moral and psychological, in which the
attitudes of peace will gain widespread acceptance. The process of the
feminisation of the workplace will introduce into daily life those
qualities essential to the creation of a peaceful world, as women model
the reality of "Abdu'l-Baha's words that "...women are most capable and
efficient...their hearts are more tender and susceptible than the hearts
of men...they are more philanthropic and responsive toward the needy
and suffering...they are inflexibly opposed to war and are lovers of
peace."
When women, aided and encouraged by those very men whose
own lives are most at risk from war, achieve full partnership in all
areas of influence and decision making, the qualities of tenderness,
compassion and peacefulness will prevail in human affairs, and the Most
Great Peace, the Kingdom of Heaven, will come.
I began by
recalling the events of the conference at Badasht, and the occasion on
which Tahireh chose to announce the liberation of women from the
shackles and veils of the past. I close with those same words from the
Qur'an with which Tahireh, the Pure One, concluded that address, and
which foreshadow the age of peace to come;
