THE WOMEN, AS USUAL

  If only the women ruled the world. If only they did not have to fight men for survival, for recognition of their humanity, then what a world we would have. But men appear to be determined to continue their dangerous and violent behavior, hence the world today. It seems that the women are the pawns eternally, paying the debts of men.

Today, the women of Afghanistan are worried and rightfully so. For so many years they suffered under the Taliban, denied education, denied the ability to work - and survive, were restricted to home and enshrouded in clothing that denied their humanity. They were the coin of repaying debts, were forced to marry whomever they were told to, be it an old man or their rapist, were slaughtered in "honor" killings, and lived in despair.

Yet in these very deep and dark depths of despair, of persecution, women, brave women, ran secret schools, mothers sent daughters to them, and today there are women in government and huge numbers in higher education, even as persecution in Taliban villages continued and even in other places. And we are abandoning them to their horrific fate, to public lashings, to stoning, to a status the equivalent to a goat, and perhaps less than that.

We are doing nothing to insure that their progress and advancement will continue. We are doing nothing to require women's rights as an immutable part of this peace to be. One woman had it pegged just right. She said that women have always been the victims of men's wars and now they will be the victims of men's peace as well. That is such a sad and despairing statement of reality.

The entire world suffers when half its population is undervalued and mistreated. Think not that Western countries are any better. No, there are no public whippings but how many are the recipient of unwanted attentions, of sexual assaults, of unfair practices in business and in life, and only recently, really, were they granted the right to get loans in their own names! Glass ceilings remain, right here at home, from overlooking to inequity in salary.

The world will not be what it should be unless the abilities of all are valued. It take a Maxine Waters or a Val Deming to shut up the blowhards like Jim Jordan. It takes a Pelosi to withstand the verbal abuse, the existential threat to her life. It takes a Jill Biden to stick to her position and remain at work, and get recognized for her own achievements. It take a Kamala Harris to break new barriers. And it takes all the women of the world who withstand daily abuse, overwork, demands on their souls to keep the homes and countries running on an even keel.

Yes, it was just Women's History Month, but we need to be past these almost empty gestures and grow up already. Men, you have met your match in the person of modern day women. Heed their words, their courage, their determination. You have no choice and it is for the betterment of all.