Every month I am going to be putting together a feature based on a different principle in the Bahai Faith (So far I have done Unity in diversity). I decided to do the next feature early, as I will be gone at the end of the month. This one is (as you can probably tell from the title) about the equality of men and women.

I'll start with a little of my own opinion. In many countries in the world (including many I have visited) women are treated as far inferior to men. Just a few examples that continue today are that they have been forced into covering their entire bodies in public, are expected to throw themselves into their husband's burning funeral pyre, are told they are never good enough through the media, and often become objects for sex. I (being female) have had several experiences where I have felt this unequality, both while traveling and at school. While I was travelling with my Dad in several countries at the age of 12 I was repeatedly mistaken for a boy (despite my almost waist-length hair) or my Dad's wife (I was twelve and he was probably 40). I have been asked to wear a head scarf in Mosques out of respect (I didn't mind that much, I understand the reasoning behind it), and once in my early teens I received a mariage proposal from a nice young man from India who was shocked when I dared to turned him down. I have also felt the effects at home in the United States and Canada. I am all to aware of the influence of the media, particularly in the minds of young women, despite my attempting to keep away from it. Several times I have been told to wait for a boy to carry heavy things for me. In one such instance I was about to carry some light and sound equipment for a dance performance and a several boys told me they could carry it for me. I declined and proceeded to easily carry it out of the room. When I returned I found that two boys had needed to help each other out in order to carry the second bag, the first of which I had done by myself. Despite these encounters, unlike some extreme "feminists" who think that women not only are not "lower" than men, but that they are better than men, I believe neither it better. They aren't exactly the same nor should they be exactly the same, they should have equal and have fair rights. No one should be discriminated against just because of their gender.

The next feature is going to be based on global warming, if you have created or seen any nice pieces based on this topic please send me a note with a link. Anyways, enough talking, enjoy the art!