It seems that is not the only circumstance women will not get equal treatment in Baha'i scriptures?
In Gods eyes he measures us on moral grounds, in this sense we are equal.
Rather not the thrust of the thread - despite the fact that numbers of Baha'is are engaged in promoting the interests and skills in larger and larger numbers of women, not just Baha'i women, everyone seems to be focusing on some supposed exception to some norm or other. But still the lives of those women are improving.
But since the squeeky wheel get's the grease....
As an elaboration - note that absolute equality voids the diversity of the real capabilities of individuals. Even as a group there are differences that simply must be acknowledged and treasured, and yes even prioritized.
Let's consider birthing. Both men and women have an absolute unique side of the experience. Women cannot experience what men experience of birthing nor can men experience what women experience. I'm not being flippant. Men stand aside, essentially powerless to really do anything about it. Women participate intimately, essentially enabled by it. Even women who help other women give birth cannot feel it like a man would. Even a woman who cannot give birth helping women give birth isn't the same.
So both sides have real experiences, uniquely felt.
But of the two which really is the more important? Should we have doctors in delivery room waiting areas to take care of men while the women give birth or doctors in the delivery room?
So if this is acceptible, then it is clear that even though women and men are equal they are not the same and as an inherent part of their existence as different beings they must differ to eachother in respect of their differences. I have reviewed some biological issues but their are other differences too. Studies show women and men differ in language use, in some use/sensitivity in some senses, and there has been some work in steps in moral development/achievement documented, and there are surely more. None of these are about right/wrong or better/worse as beings. And far too much history has been about the oppression of women and the derangement of character in men that results too. But it is over-reacting to this history to suppose that women are just different men, or just like men.
Now the fact that the Baha'i scriptures deal with women differently than men in various cases (sometimes prefering, while other times differing) comes into play. The temptation is to think any difference in treatment must call out all those old patterns of oppression.
Part of what my posts above relate is that these old patterns of oppression are precisely what the Baha'is are struggling against, out of our own scriptural guidance. That women are excused from fasting during their periods, that men are supposed to inform their wives when they intend to return from a trip, that women are not allowed on the House of Justice but can be Continental Counselors (and have been Hands of the Cause of God) and thus convery more personal authority than being members of the House of Justice.... these are not extensions of the patterns of oppressions of the past. They are from a consistent if undefined point of view. Someday more will be known about this point of view. Apparently it's an excercise for the reader.
