DEAR EDITOR:

A historic event occurred March 8 in Abu Dubai — Women’s Day. Women from many countries attended.

The main topic was equality for women in the workplace, getting paid the same as men. Simultaneously, women in other countries demonstrated for basic human rights like education, voting, holding office, etc.

Who were those women? Our mothers, sisters, daughters, wives and sweethearts.

It’s ironic that in 2023 these topics should even be mentioned, when many women are highly educated and often do a better job than men! But there it was!

Motherhood was not mentioned even once during this conference. I suppose a woman views motherhood not as hard work, but as a natural phenomenon expected by her family, country, religion, culture and her god.

I have three daughters. I will be more than upset, as any father would, if my daughter is paid less than her male counterpart for the same job. Whether it’s due to culture, religion, need for dominance, ignorance or all the above, this mentality must be relegated to history if we are to prosper as a civilized society, nation and world.

This isn’t to take away anything from men, except that we must keep in mind it was a woman who carried every man in her belly for nine months, gave birth and, from day one, kept what may become a CEO of a large business, leader or even a president or a king — clean, fed, cuddled and loved. She is the one who gets up at night to feed or comfort him, while daddy sleeps. She nurses him, changes diapers and teaches him to eat, bathe, dress, stay healthy and clean. She wipes his runny nose and his face after an ice-cream fest! She takes him to the doctor when he is sick and spends nights sitting next to his crib or hospital bed listening to every breath, watching every movement and frequently touches his soft skin to make sure he is alive and well. She is forever protective, forever loving, always giving, without expecting anything in return, except for him to grow up, get an education and become a responsible citizen, and, yes, maybe CEO of a big corporation, a leader or president. She applauds him when he succeeds, comforts him when he fails, cries when he cries and often shows his pictures and brags about his little achievements.

I hope and pray that every CEO, president of a country, corporation, every leader, would think of every woman as though she was his mother, his sister, his wife, his daughter or his sweetheart — because she is.

RASHID ABDU, M.D.

Canfield