1. The Basis of Equality between Men and Women

World Scripture

God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1.27

And their Lord answers them, “I waste not the labor of any that labors among you, be you male or female—the one of you is as the other.”
Qur’an 3.195

When women are honored, there the gods are pleased; but where they are not honored, no sacred rite yields rewards. When the female relations live in grief, the family soon wholly perishes; but that family where they are not unhappy ever prospers.
Laws of Manu 3.56-57 (Hinduism)

My dear sisters the women, you have had a hard life to live in this world, yet without you this world would not be what it is. Wakan Tanka intends that you should bear much sorrow—comfort others in time of sorrow.²⁹ By your hands the family moves.
Sioux Tradition of the Sacred Pipe (Native American Religion)

The sister Soma… when she was returning from her alms-round, after her meal, entered Dark Wood for noonday rest, and plunging into its depths sat down under a certain tree. Then Mara the Evil One, desirous of arousing fear, wavering and dread in her, desirous of making her desist from concentrated thought, went up to her and addressed her in verse,
That opportunity [for arahantship] the
sages may attain
is hard to win. But with her two-finger wit
that may no woman ever hope to achieve.
Then Soma thought, “Who now is this, human or non-human, that speaks verse? Surely it is Mara the Evil One who speaks verse, desirous of arousing in me fear, wavering and dread…” The sister replied in verses:
What should the woman’s nature signify
when consciousness is tense and firmly set,
when knowledge rolls ever on, when she
by insight rightly comprehends the Dhamma?
To one for whom the question arises:
Am I a woman [in these matters], or
am I a man, or what not am I then?
To such a one is Mara fit to talk.
Then Mara the Evil One thought, “Sister Soma recognizes me!” and sad and sorrowful he vanished.
Samyutta Nikaya 1.128, Suttas of Sisters (Buddhism)

Thou art woman, Thou art man; Thou art youth and maiden… it is Thou alone who, when born, assumes diverse forms.
Svetasvatara Upanishad 4.3 (Hinduism)

Shariputra, “Goddess, what prevents you from transforming yourself out of your female state, by nature filthy and an unfit vessel?” Goddess, “Although I have sought my ‘female state’ for these twelve years, I have not yet found it. Reverend Shariputra, if a magician were to incarnate a woman by magic, would you ask her, ‘What prevents you from transforming yourself out of your female state?’” Shariputra, “No! Such a woman would not really exist, so what would there be to transform?”
“Just so, Reverend Shariputra, all things do not really exist. Now, would you think, “What prevents one whose nature is that of a magical incarnation from transforming herself out of her female state?” Thereupon, the goddess employed her magical power to cause the elder Shariputra to appear in her form and to cause herself to appear in his form. Then the goddess, transformed into Shariputra, said to Shariputra, transformed into a goddess, “Reverend Shariputra, what prevents you from transforming yourself out of your female state?” And Shariputra, transformed into a goddess, replied, “I no longer appear in the form of a male! My body has changed into the body of a woman! I do not know what to transform!”
The goddess continued, “If the elder could again change out of the female state, then all women could also change out of their female states. All women appear in the form of women in just the same way as the elder appears in the form of a woman. While they are not women in reality, they appear in the form of women. With this in mind, the Buddha said, ‘In all things, there is neither male nor female.’”³⁰
Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti 7 (Buddhism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

Even in America, where the women’s rights movement has been promoting equality between the sexes, men today still have more privileges than women. Although American women may be somewhat better off, generally speaking women throughout the world live their lives dominated by men and carry resentment that they were born as women. The United States has laws granting equality between men and women. Nevertheless, in a fight, a man has the strength to defeat even two women combined! Don’t many women still think, “I wish I were born a man”?
Throughout history, while men have enjoyed good fortune, a woman’s lot has been miserable. Is it mainly women who assault and violate men, or men who violate women? Men violate women. It has been this way throughout history. In case of criminal assault against the opposite sex, over ninety percent are committed against women. For this reason, women have been holding a grudge against men and pursue women’s rights.
Why doesn’t God solve this problem and establish equality among the sexes? Why doesn’t He make those malicious men surrender, but instead just allow them to continue? This is the issue.
(243:268, January 28, 1993)

How are you going to assure equal rights? By force? External laws? Emotional persuasion? It is through love. It is through love that women can be equal to men. Through love, a mother can be equal to her son, even though he may be the president of a nation. Where there is love, everything can be equal. In this sense, we have to understand that the central core of equality lies in men and women who hope for a peaceful family centered on true love.
A husband wants to return to his wife’s bosom and a wife wants to return to her husband’s bosom and become one. There, nothing is high or low. They are indeed experiencing equality. Can there be equality in any other place? Equal rights for men and women exist only in a peaceful family
(129:51-52, October 1, 1983)

Equality is born from the concept of “we.” It does not exist when “I” am the center. The center must be “we.” You must understand this. Equality arises from “we”-centeredness, in the love among “we.” It cannot arise from self-centeredness.
Unfortunately, most feminists have an “I”-centered concept, and most men who believe in traditional male superiority think the same way. They are both wrong; the correct viewpoint is to advocate human rights for all people. To seek equality by putting women first does not make sense. The only sensible way to seek equality is to uphold the rights of everyone, centered on love.
I don’t favor either the feminist movement or the tradition of male superiority. Men should live for the sake of women, and women should live for the sake of men.
(131:109, April 22, 1984)

Just as human beings want to see God during their lifetime, God also wants to see true individuals. Yet if God called for either the man first or the woman first, the one who was not picked would complain.

Therefore, God cannot help but make love supreme. In that way, both the man and the woman can see God together, touch God together, and share God together.

If the most precious thing in the world were some material thing, surely the man and woman would fight over it; but once they understand that it is love, they will become one and possess it together, by caring for each other.
(True Family and World Peace, March 14, 1999)