Are man and woman equal and do they have the same rights before God?

This question was made by Allan Kardec to the Superiors Spirits last century. They answered with another question:

Didn't God give to both of them the intelligence to choose between what is good and what is bad and the faculty to progress?

In the nineteenth century, the Benefactors threw a challenge to the society of the time, when it was believed that man was superior to the woman, and deserved her obedience and respect.

It is irrefutable that men and women have the same rights, differing only on the functions that one and the other have towards society.

About this issue, Allan Kardec asked the Spirits:

Are the functions given to woman as important as the ones given to man?

Here is the answer:

Even more important. She is the one that gives the first notions of life.

With this affirmation, the Benefactors want to make clear that maternity is one of the functions given to the woman, as well as the first notions of education.

Victor Hugo, the famous French novelist from nineteenth century, wrote a beautiful page on man and woman, that follows:

Man is the most elevate of creatures. Woman is the most sublime of ideals.

For man, God made a throne; for woman, He made an altar. The throne exalts, the altar sanctifies.

Man is the brain; woman is the heart. The brain makes light; the heart makes love. Light fecunds; love resuscitates.

Man is the genius; woman is the angel. The genius is immeasurable; the angel undefined.

The aspiration of the man is the supreme glory; the woman's aspiration is the extreme virtue. Glory translates grandness; virtue translates divinity.

A man has supremacy; woman, preference. Supremacy represents power; preference represents the right.

Man is strong through reason; woman is invincible through tears.  Reason convinces; tears touch.

Man is capable of all heroisms; woman, of martyrdom. Heroism dignifies; martyrdom sublimes.

Man is the code; woman, the Gospel. Code corrects; Gospel refines.

Man is a temple; a woman a sanctuary. Before the temple we uncover; before the sanctuary we kneel.

Man thinks; woman dreams. To think is to have a brain; to dream is to have a halo on your forehead.

Man is an ocean; woman is a lake. The ocean has the pearl that makes it beautiful; the lake has poetry that dazzles.

Man is an eagle that flies; woman is a nightingale that sings. To fly is to dominate the space; to sing is to conquer the soul.

Man has a lighthouse: the conscience; woman has a star: hope. The lighthouse guides, hope saves.

Man is where the earth finishes; woman is where the sky starts.

*   *   *

Man is like a bird, many times obligated to face the storm outside the nest, that so the nest can benefit from it with joy and abundance.

Woman is the angel from this same nest where man looks for peace and recovery.

Spiritist Moment Team based on items 817 and 821 from the book The Spirit’s book, by Allan Kardec, publishing house: Feb;
 on poetry by Victor Hugo, extracted from volume 5 of Antologia do pensamento mundial, publishing house:
Logo, and on the word Homem, from the book Dicionário da alma, by several authors ,psychographed by Francisco Cândido Xavier, publishing house: Feb.
August 16.2010.