Women in a time of war

The U.S.'s national Women's History Month ends Thursday. Its theme, "Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope," is timely everywhere for our wounded, war weary world.

International Women’s Day was March 8, of course. Its theme, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow,” called on people “to work towards a world that is equitable, inclusive and free from bias and discrimination so the playing field is levelled for women moving forward.”

Russia's war against Ukraine prevents anyone, women, children or men, from moving forward or towards sustainable lives. War is always worse on women, primarily civilians and now terrified refugees. They carry the burden of their families, both children and elders, and concern for spouses conscripted into fighting. Women in Ukraine, and countries bordering it, too are conscripted to be healers for their families and the increasing millions of refugees.

The healing they are able to assist is critical. But hope is in short supply as the war drags on.

It was in the midst of what was then called The Great War, but now numbered as World War I, that women from at least Europe and North America joined together to create the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. In the darkest hours of the first world war, courageous women did what is always needed in tragic times: they led, promoting hope and insisting on peace and justice, knowing those are the only beacons that light the way to a sustainable tomorrow.

When the 2022 National Women’s History Month theme, “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope” was chosen, only the scourge of the coronavirus pandemic needed to be overcome. That pandemic is still present and deadly. Healing and hope are needed on every front and every battleground. Sadly, war metaphors remain pertinent and useful.

Every word we use needs to be carefully chosen. In these ongoing hard times, less difficult certainly in northwest Washington, working toward healing, first our own selves, then promoting hope by acting on the best possibilities we believe in and always giving voice to the sustainable tomorrow that will get us through the still difficult present moment will, truly, be an act of solidarity with the women of Ukraine.