Reimagining power as cooperation

CAIRO — A roundtable discussion recently held by the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) explored how societies must transcend conceptions of power as domination or control if they are to move toward genuine equality of women and men.

The discussion was convened on Pan-African Women’s Day by the BIC Offices in Addis Ababa and Cairo, in collaboration with the African Union’s Interfaith Dialogue Forum.

Bringing together some 40 participants from 13 African Union member states—including representatives of diplomatic missions, civil society organizations, faith communities, and academic institutions—the gathering examined how a reimagined understanding of power could advance women’s empowerment and strengthen social harmony.

Panelists drew attention to the deep cultural and structural challenges that persist, from gender-based violence to the exclusion of women from decision-making. They also highlighted experiences showing how new conceptions of power—rooted in cooperation, mutual support, and moral leadership—can transform relationships at every level of society.

“Power should not be seen as a finite resource that one group holds at the expense of another,” said Hatem El-Hady of the BIC’s Cairo Office. “Rather, it is a collective capacity inherent in all humanity, expressed through service, encouragement, and cooperation.”

Mr. El-Hady added: “A just and flourishing society emerges when individuals, communities, and institutions nurture one another.”

Positive expressions of power include “power within” related to self-worth and confidence, “power to” decide and act, and a sense of “power with” that builds collective strength through collaboration, added Bethel Terefe Gebremedhin, a senior gender expert with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, African Region Office.

The discussion highlighted how regional frameworks, such as the African Union Gender Strategy and Agenda 2063, emphasize participatory governance and shared leadership. Yet attendees acknowledged that legal reforms alone remain insufficient without accompanying cultural transformation.

Grassroots experience shared at the roundtable provided practical examples of the impact of positive changes in culture when notions of power are reimagined.

“Over time, the concerns of our community shifted from day-to-day matters to profound questions of how to improve our environment and strengthen our families,” said Grace Mwamba, a member of the Bahá’í community of Zambia, describing how moral and spiritual educational initiatives inspired by Bahá’í principles have helped women and men alike gain a deeper sense of agency.

“The shift in the participation of these women in promoting the welfare of their community,” continued Ms. Mwamba, “has had an effect on the prevailing cultural norms that dictate that women can have no power to support the children and family materially or to contribute meaningfully to their community.”

Conversations about women’s empowerment must go beyond advocacy to the level of culture, observed Solomon Belay, a representative of the BIC Addis Ababa Office, after the gathering. “The family is where our earliest ideas of justice and equality are formed,” said Mr. Belay. “If power is redefined in the family, as partnership and as shared responsibility, it will contribute to shaping the structures of society itself.”

Shemona Moonilal, of the Addis Ababa Office, emphasized the need to bring assumptions to light: “Too often, women are seen only as recipients rather than as equal protagonists of change.

“Redefining power means fostering spaces where both women and men can collaborate, not in competition but in unity, to contribute to Africa’s progress."

The gathering was part of the BIC’s ongoing contribution to the discourse on the equality of women and men, with future gatherings planned by the Offices to explore the topic.