Today, the Baha’i International Community (BIC) launched a feature length film entitled “Glimpses into the Spirit of Gender Equality”. Over 750 participants—including Ambassadors and representatives from the Permanent Missions of Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, France, Greece, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Slovakia, as well as United Nations officials and civil society representatives—viewed the 40 minute documentary, which reflects on advances made since the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. 

 “The aim of the BIC in creating this film is to showcase the spirit of diverse initiatives that have steadily contributed to cultural transformation at the local level in creating more equitable societies,” said Saphira Rameshfar, Representative of the BIC. “It also seeks to instill a sense of hope and optimism as we recommit our efforts within the UN towards the vital requirement of gender equality.”

Ambassador Inga Rhonda King, Permanent Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the UN, shared in her opening remarks at the event, “I see the screening of Glimpses into the Spirit of Gender Equality as a moment and opportunity in which to explore our human capacity for compassion, justice, and collective responsibility, especially in light of changes occasioned by the pandemic. Gender equality does indeed require us to soar to the higher plane of the sublime.”

Commenting on the film, Ambassador Issimail Chanfi, Permanent Representative of Comoros to the UN, said, “The film proposes a positive assessment on gender initiatives and progress made around the world and showcases the work and role of multilateralism in the process as much as the key work and role of local communities.” 

Ambassador Michal Mlynár, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the UN, shared, “The movie showcases great examples of advancement of women and girls from all corners of the world, and I hope it will contribute to the global understanding that all human beings are equal in their rights.”

The film highlights advances in gender equality seen in communities in Colombia, India, Malaysia, the United States, and Zambia, and explores conditions key to such advances. 

An educational process that assists individuals to develop along physical, intellectual and spiritual dimensions is one such condition. 

“If education is received in that holistic way, we can … achieve great things,” explains Belkis Paz, an educator from Colombia featured in the film. “The setback in communities and culture is sometimes because a person is intellectually trained but is not prepared to make a good decision, to be fair with what he does, to be equitable, to be kind.”

“Ultimately, the film seeks to convey that the equality of men and women is a facet of human reality and not just a condition to be achieved for the common good,” noted Ms. Rameshfar. 

“That which makes human beings human—their inherent dignity and nobility—is neither male nor female. The search for meaning, for purpose, for community; the capacity to love, to create, to persevere, has no gender. Such an assertion has profound implications for the organization of every aspect of human society.”

A web page for the “Glimpses into the Spirit of Gender Equality” film features stories diving deeper into efforts toward gender equality in some of the communities visited during filming. The film is currently available in English, with subtitles soon to be available in French, Spanish, Arabic, Persian, Russian, and Mandarin.

It is hoped that this film will be drawn on as a resource at all levels, to spark conversation and stimulate ideas on how to move forward together in advancing gender equality. The BIC invites you to join us for a series of smaller conversations on the themes explored in the film. You can email [email protected] if you would like to join one of these online spaces. Written feedback and reflections on the film are also welcome.