Covid-19 showed us how fragile we are.
We have built a world, thinking we can do everything we want, even flying to the moon; we have advanced in conquering territories, imposing the strong over the weak ones, valuing power and money over anything else.
Yet coronavirus showed us, we were going in the wrong direction.
We have not created happy nor fair societies as they are not based on human values, rather on economic growth and GDP.
We are humans but humanity has been pertaining to the few; and the many have continued to suffer from inequalities and abuses.
We have been fighting for those human rights that should have been granted naturally; human rights have been flagged as “advocating”, “mobilising” and “demonstrating”, aside the normal track.
Belonging to the upstream and not mainstream.
We have divided instead of uniting: social injustices and political injustices, privileges, divisions.
For centuries we have created boxes, racial and gender discriminations; women were considered impulsive, emotional, hysterical, and deceptive; and after two thousand years of “civilization,” if not legally, still a cultural and mindset discrimination persists.
What is the thought behind the fact that a woman cannot be elected president of the United States? How is it possible that the most Fortune 1000 companies still lack a woman on their board of directors?
Covid-19 showed us we are all connected.
Should not we start to use this connection for the better rather than for the worse?
As we claim we want to go back to normal, normal should be human rights to be acknowledged as the norm in praxis.
For 2,000 years of recorded history, women have generally been confined to the role of breeders and not leaders. In spite of technological and economic advances, the multi-millennial image as background breeders does not vanish from the collective psyches.
And it continues to limit the creative potential of a new direction.
As we desperately need a new direction.
A recent article has highlighted that, apparently, across the globe, all the six countries that have had a commendable response to Covid-19 had one thing in common – female leadership.
As doctors and health professionals are saving our lives from the virus, it is time to reflect that what has been for long undermined and neglected has to be put back on track.
Valuing and not discriminating. Empowering: as we all have different qualities that we can develop not necessarily according to the normal education standards; creating new windows and new paths.
Acknowledging and not denying.
Human and not only humanity.
Stefania Romano