 spiritual reality of the human person and not a creation of the human will, a concession by public authorities, or a product of cultures or historical circumstances.
21. In the Declaration, the dignity of the human being is put in relation to the reason and conscience with which the human being is endowed 24 and thus to his free will. The Encyclical Pacem in Terris (1963) also expressly emphasizes this.25 In this way it is made clear that dignity is not a generic, a merely formal or an empty concept but a meaningful one, as the subsequent articles of the Declaration specify: that is, the dignity and the possibility of every real person to achieve hisher own personality and rights, not in an abstract way but concretely, as a woman or man, wife or husband, child or parent.
22. On the other hand, the Declaration affirms and recognizes the full equality of every person 26 and hence prohibits all forms of discrimination or limitations of one's rights on the basis of "race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status".27 This equality is also shown clearly by recognizing that every person is entitled to rights at every stage of hisher development and at every moment of hisher existence.
3.2. Every Human Being
23. Every human being possesses this dignity, as affirmed by the Declaration in which almost every article begins with expressions such as "every human being", "every member of the human species", "every human individual without any distinction", etc. The enumeration of the rights and duties which the Declaration includes thus offers both juridical and ethical guidelines that make it possible to focus on many human situations, both those which existed at the time the Declaration was written, and those brought about by the subsequent social changes and innovations introduced through the development of technology, the economy, and political institutions within States.
24. Everything that is stated about the dignity, rights and duties of the human being holds equally for men and for women. The common dignity of men and women and their reciprocity is the authentic basis for affirming their complete dignity. Reciprocity implies in fact that there is neither a static and undifferentiated equality between men and women, nor an inexorable and irreconcilable conflictual distinction.28
3.3. Work and the Family
25. As both a right and a duty,29 work expresses and fulfills the dignity of human beings. It demonstrates their ability to dominate the world around them; it contributes to the development of their personality,30 and makes the growth of civilization possible. The whole of society and the organizations and policies of the States must generate conditions that will lead to making it possible for everyone to work. We cannot forget that "work constitutes a foundation for the formation of family life, which is a natural right and something that man is called to. These two spheres of values—one linked to work and the other consequent on the family nature of human life—must be properly united and must properly permeate each other. In a way, work is a condition for making it possible to found a family, since the family requires the means of subsistence which man normally gains through work".31
26. The specific contribution that a father and a mother offer through their work to society should be recognized. What a mother contributes to the family and through it to society deserves greater attention; moreover, this has attracted the attention of some of the most distinguished thinkers of our times. This specifically maternal contribution can be seen more obviously in the area of up-bringing, health, education, religious formation and all the activities that affect the well being of the family and its members. John Paul II has stressed the importance of this contribution many times.32 Naturally, emphasis on the mother's contribution should not overshadow the importance of the father's specific contribution because their contributions are complementary.
27. Concr