Mother’s Day

On June 2, 2024, the national Bahá’í community of Mauritius organized a special event to celebrate Mother’s Day and to explore the theme of gender equality at the Bahá’í Convention Centre. The gathering brought together guests from all walks of life — members of religious associations, non-governmental organizations, politicians, academics, and Bahá’ís — to pay tribute to mothers and to discuss the importance of gender equality in society.

The ceremony began with an interfaith prayer session dedicated to mothers around the world. The keynote presentation focused on one of the fundamental principles of the Bahá’í Faith, proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, over a century and a half ago: the equality of women and men.

This activity forms part of a newly established project by the Bahá’í community, aimed at deepening understanding of the spirit of gender equality from a Bahá’í perspective. The project seeks to explore its foundational principles, its significance, and the concrete actions that can be undertaken to promote it. All contributions, discussions, and initiatives by individuals, organizations, and government bodies that promote gender equality in Mauritius will be documented.

One of the goals of this project is to raise awareness of the Bahá’í understanding of gender equality, to advance the national discourse on this principle, and to foster a shared vision of equality.

Throughout the year, various activities will be organized — presentations, conferences, seminars, workshops, exhibitions, discussions, articles and blogs, videos, podcasts, and more.

Guests also had the opportunity to view the film Glimpses into the Spirit of Gender Equality, which highlights inspiring initiatives that contribute to cultural transformation and the creation of more just and equitable societies. The film explores various dimensions of gender equality, including family dynamics, the role of men and boys in addressing inequality, educational programs that promote equality, and the role of religion as a force for the empowerment of women. It also underscores the significant contribution of the Bahá’í Faith to the promotion of gender equality around the world.

Following the screening, participants broke into small groups to discuss the importance of gender equality, the challenges and obstacles that remain, examples of successful efforts to advance this principle, and the individual and collective actions that can be taken to further this process. Attendees also shared reflections and quotations on the role of mothers and on the importance of equality between women and men. They benefited from exchanges on the ongoing evolution of this principle’s implementation — within families, communities, and society — emphasizing the importance of spiritual education in fostering its practice, as well as the vital role of religion in promoting it.

The event concluded with an inspiring closing session that reaffirmed the crucial role of mothers in the development of their children and in the building of society. Guests were reminded of the central place of gender equality in the Bahá’í Faith and were invited to join in collective action to help create a more just and equitable world for all. They were encouraged to continue raising awareness of gender equality and to actively promote this principle within their own communities.

We look forward to the next stage of this project!

The Office of External Affairs of the Bahá’ís of Mauritius