Daily Frameworks for 06 October 2025

Kamál, 11 Mashíyyat (Will), 182 B.E.

Social Action: Selected Themes Pertaining to Social and Economic Development

Quotes for Reflection:

Your letter hath come and hath occasioned the utmost joy, with its news that, praised be God, in Hamadán a welfare and relief association hath been established. I trust that this will become a source of general prosperity and assistance, and that means will be provided to set the hearts of the poor and weak at rest, and to educate the orphans and other children.
The question of training the children and looking after the orphans is extremely important, but most important of all is the education of girl children, for these girls will one day be mothers, and the mother is the first teacher of the child. In whatever way she reareth the child, so will the child become, and the results of that first training will remain with the individual throughout his entire life, and it would be most difficult to alter them. And how can a mother, herself ignorant and untrained, educate her child? It is therefore clear that the education of girls is of far greater consequence than that of boys. This fact is extremely important, and the matter must be seen to with the greatest energy and dedication.
God sayeth in the Qur’án that they shall not be equals, those who have knowledge and those who have it not.5 Ignorance is thus utterly to be blamed, whether in male or female; indeed, in the female its harm is greater. I hope, therefore, that the friends will make strenuous efforts to educate their children, sons and daughters alike. This is verily the truth, and outside the truth there is manifestly naught save perdition. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ¹

Question for Consideration

What is the significance of educating girls and how can this priority receive appropriate attention while serving the educational needs of all children within the community?

Perplexity Pro Response ²

The education of girls holds profound significance for the well-being, advancement, and unity of both the family and society. When prioritizing girls’ education, it is not to neglect boys, but to recognize that the training of mothers has a foundational impact on the next generation and the moral and intellectual development of the whole community. [1]

Importance of Educating Girls

• Educated girls will one day become mothers, the first teachers of their children, affecting how future generations are raised. [1]
• The influence of a mother’s knowledge shapes the character, values, and capabilities of her children for life, making the mother’s training of “far greater consequence than that of boys”. [1]
• Ignorance in either gender is harmful, but in girls, it can have even wider repercussions because it perpetuates cycles of deprivation and missed potential for the whole society. [1]
• The progress and greatness of society are tied directly to the education and advancement of women, as their empowerment leads to collective prosperity and capacity-building. [1]
  

Principles for Giving Education Priority

• Justice and the oneness of humanity demand that all, regardless of gender, have equal access and encouragement to education. [1]
• Both material and spiritual education should be pursued, focusing on character and conduct as well as intellectual achievement. [1]
• The educational needs of the whole community—including boys, girls, orphans, and children from all backgrounds—must be served, but with an understanding that special energy must be given to girls’ education due to its multiplier effect on long-term progress. [1]
• Practical application: Establish schools that equally admit girls and boys, develop targeted outreach for communities where girls’ access lags, and foster community ownership of the educational process so all children are supported. [1]
  

Practical Ways to Ensure Attention and Balance

• Actively plan and prioritize the education of girls in curricula, community initiatives, and resource allocation, while continuing to build capacity for the education of all children. [1]
• Empower women and girls with leadership and participation in educational projects, ensuring their voices are central to developing solutions. [1]
• Encourage community members—especially parents—to view girls’ education as beneficial for everyone, increasing collective support and overcoming cultural or structural barriers. [1]
• Foster environments in which both male and female educators model the value of mutual respect, learning, and service to the community as a whole. [1]
  

By maintaining this focus and acting deliberately with energy and dedication, communities fulfill both a moral responsibility and a condition for lasting peace, unity, and progress for all members. [1]

Citations

[1] Social Action-A Compilation Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice August 2020 – Bahá’í Reference Library

1. Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. “Social Action.” Bahá’í Reference Library, August 2020. https://www.bahai.org/r/536814079. ↩
2. Perplexity Pro. “Prioritizing Education of Girls.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. October 5, 2025. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/your-letter-hath-come-and-hath-JwjW1IznRnWCgCwN011xYw#0. ↩