March 8 is a time to pause and think about the lives of our moms, wives, sisters, daughters, female colleagues, gal pals and all the females who have touched our lives. It’s a time to stand to attention and salute all women, especially those brave ladies in poor countries like Morocco who fought and are still fighting for a better world for themselves and their offspring.
Happy International Women’s Day, then, to my illiterate stay-at-home Mom. A strong-minded and caring woman who attended to the needs of her ten boys and girls, and the needs of my Dad and other dependents for no pay but with stoic resignation and calm, and never thought of saying "Goodbye to Daddy"
Happy IWD to my five sisters who took Mom for a role model and devote their time and energy to the comfort, well-being and welfare of their respective families. I wish them a happy IWD and I congratulate them on being great moms and wonderful first teachers who taught and are still teaching their kids good manners and appropriate social behavior.
Happy IWD to my wife who works more than sixteen hours a day at home (with little help from me, I admit) so I can work less than eight hours outside. A heartfelt salute to my wife who attends to the needs of our kids so I can take care of other people's kids. Sincere gratitude to this great woman who, time and again, stays up all night so one of the kids can sleep or feel better under the warmth of her hand.
Happy IWD to my daughters to whom I wish a better fate and a far better world than present-day women’s where they can live free of discrimination and of man’s dictatorship, and where they can compete on a level playing field. My daughters’ future is the only thing, in these sclerotic patriarchal regimes, societies and world, which keeps me up at night and gives me the severest headaches.
Happy IWD to all the women in the MENA region who took to the streets and took part in The Arab Spring, side by side with men, to overthrow dictatorships but came back home empty-handed. Happy IWD and good luck to Karman Tawakul and her sisters in their fight for real ”democratic rights” because it seems they piggybacked ungrateful men who took advantage of them and then put speed bumpers in their way and arrogated more power to themselves.
Having said that, here is a piece of advice to you, dear ladies: after almost 100 International Women’s Days, gender equality is still a pipe dream, which should put you on your mettle because there is still a lot of work to do and a long way to go.
