Gender in Yiguandao is shaped by a tension between traditional Chinese norms and a spiritual vision that presents all souls as fundamentally equal. The movement venerates a supreme, formless deity known as the Unborn Mother, a feminine image of ultimate reality that grants women a powerful symbolic centrality. Within this framework, spiritual cultivation and the possibility of enlightenment are taught to transcend gender distinctions, and salvation is considered equally accessible to men and women. This doctrinal emphasis on equality coexists with teachings that highlight gender-specific virtues and complementary roles, often framed through concepts of balance and harmony.

At the level of organization and leadership, Yiguandao communities have historically reflected a largely patriarchal structure. Men typically occupy primary leadership positions in temples and in higher administrative roles, and early lines of transmission often use language that mirrors traditional male authority. At the same time, the prominent role of figures such as Madam Sun Suzhen, revered as a bodhisattva-like exemplar, has provided a strong precedent for legitimate female leadership. In some branches and regions, especially where social norms allow broader public participation by women, women may serve as hall leaders, senior lecturers, and key organizers of community life.

In everyday religious practice, women are highly visible and active. They frequently organize temple affairs, manage local administration, and coordinate charitable works and community activities. Women often lead chanting, guide study groups, and nurture the spiritual development of newer members, sometimes functioning as de facto spiritual authorities even when formal titles remain male-dominated. Many also serve as spirit-writing mediums or ritual specialists, acting as spiritual guides during ceremonies and contributing significantly to the community’s devotional life.

Expectations around family and morality further shape gender roles within Yiguandao. The movement strongly emphasizes filial piety, marital fidelity, and moral self-discipline, drawing on Confucian ideals that cast women as moral guardians of the household and exemplars of sacrifice and compassion. Marriage and family formation are treated as important spiritual responsibilities for both men and women, though the expressions of these duties often differ by gender. Domestic responsibilities, particularly for women, are framed not merely as social obligations but as meaningful avenues of spiritual practice.

In social and outreach activities, a patterned division of labor often emerges. Women tend to be more involved in local temple administration, community building, and charitable service, while men are more visible in larger organizational structures and in external relations with other groups or authorities. Both genders participate in proselytizing and communal worship, sometimes in gender-specific contexts, and economic contributions are expected from all members regardless of gender. Across different branches and regions, these patterns can vary, with some communities leaning more toward traditional role distinctions and others expressing a more overtly egalitarian ethos, yet all operating within a shared spiritual vision that places ultimate liberation beyond the confines of gender.