their
school term an examination takes place, and the result thereof determines
the knowledge and capacity of each student. So will it be with woman; her
actions will show her power, there will no longer be any need to proclaim
it by words.

It is my hope that women of the East, as well as their Western sisters,
will progress rapidly until humanity shall reach perfection.

God's Bounty is for all and gives power for all progress. When men own the
equality of women there will be no need for them to struggle for their
rights! One of the principles then of Baha'u'llah is the equality of sex.

Women must make the greatest effort to acquire spiritual power and to
increase in the virtue of wisdom and holiness until their enlightenment
and striving succeeds in bringing about the unity of mankind. They must
work with a burning enthusiasm to spread the Teaching of Baha'u'llah among
the peoples, so that the radiant light of the Divine Bounty may envelop
the souls of all the nations of the world!

("Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Baha in Paris in 1911-1912", pp.
162-63) [109]

Extracts From Letters Written by Shoghi Effendi:

110: Regarding the position of the Baha'i women in India and Burma, and
their...

Regarding the position of the Baha'i women in India and Burma, and their
future collaboration with the men in the administrative work of the Cause,
I feel that the time is now ripe that those women who have already
conformed to the prevailing custom in India and Burma by discarding the
veil should not only be given the right to vote for the election of their
local and national representatives, but should themselves be eligible to
the membership of all Baha'i Assemblies throughout India and Burma, be
they local or national.

This definite and most important step, however, should be taken with the
greatest care and caution, prudence and thoughtfulness. Due regard must be
paid to their actual capacity and present attainments, and only those who
are best qualified for membership, be they men or women, and irrespective
of social standing, should be elected to the extremely responsible
position of a member of the Baha'i Assembly.

This momentous decision, I trust, will prove to be a great incentive to
the women Baha'is throughout India and Burma who, I hope, will now bestir
themselves and endeavour to the best of their ability to acquire a better
and more profound knowledge of the Cause, to take a more a