Viva Women!

Upon a hill in the city of Weinsberg in Germany, there stands an ancient castle towering over the city. The townsfolk have kept alive a legend about the city, which fills them with pride and glory.
It is said that during 15th-century AD, the enemy army captured the city, but the townspeople escaped to the castle. The army surrounded the castle and its commander sent a message that he is willing to spare the lives of women and children, allowing them to exit the castle before launching his attack. 
To live by the chivalric code of the time, women are allowed to take one of their valuables with them, if they are able to carry it on their own. 
The enemy commander was stunned to see each woman piggyback her husband as they left the castle. 
On the determining role of great women throughout history and their sacrifices and love, much has been spoken but the role of women in governing the chaotic world of today has often been neglected.
Amid the spread of the coronavirus, while the world saw powerful and boastful administrators such as US President Donald Trump and British Premier Boris Johnson engage in a pitiful conduct, Taiwan, New Zealand, Germany, Finland, Denmark, Iceland and even Bangladesh competently managed to control a terrifying pandemic that could have claimed the lives of many more.
When we take a look at these countries on a map, we realize how scattered they are, from the faraway Oceania to southeastern Asia and northwestern Europe. However, they have one thing in common: Their leaders are women.
Throughout history, women have made many sacrifices. This sacrifice is embedded in one of their roles as “mother”. 
Merkel’s sacrifice today varies from the sacrifice of her predecessors who carried their husbands out of the castle of Weinsberg to save them. She saved her society by galvanizing all healthcare providers and enforcing comprehensive testing for the coronavirus.
The same approach was taken by Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand, in the region of Oceania, who took stringent measures to prevent the spread of the infectious disease COVID-19.
On the other end of Europe, Katrin Jakobsdottir, the prime minister of Iceland, ordered extensive COVID-19 testing so no one from the 360,000 population of her country loses their lives.
On the south end of Asia, Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister of the heavily populated and poor country of Bangladesh, made all efforts to save 165 million fellow citizens from the threat of coronavirus.
Further east, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen launched a program to reinforce the immunity of her 24 million-strong nation from neighboring China. After four months, only six have died from the novel virus.
In Norway and Denmark, their female leaders’ crisis management acumen helped them overcome a global health crisis with their heads held high, as opposed to the male leaders of Spain and Italy.
Undoubtedly, this is not a coincidence, especially since only 7% of world leaders are women and they usually perform outstandingly in the face of crises. In the same vein, their share in criminal behavior, embezzlement and corruption is insignificant.
In Iran, women have an insignificant share of leadership positions. Women still constitute less than 10% of parliament members, and the promise of President Hassan Rouhani in February 2018 to fill one-third of administrative jobs with women was never fulfilled. That is while Iranian women have been overshadowing men in higher education for years now, a testament to their capabilities and competence.
Perhaps, we could have lived under better circumstances, if women were in charge of the health of cities, transportation systems and the conservation of forests, hills, mountains, wetlands, lakes, seas, animals and all living creatures.
Perhaps, if the Middle East was led by women, instead of the stink of gunpowder and blood, the air would have been filled with the scent of daffodils and jasmine.
Perhaps, if women were the nurses of the Earth, the world could have been a much better place to live in.