It is International Women’s Day, But Mothers from Ukraine and Russia Are Crying

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PSYCHIATRIC VIEWS ON THE DAILY NEWS

Today is International Women’s Day, which was first celebrated in 1911. It is devoted to the struggle for social, economic, cultural, and political equality.

I would imagine it would be hard to celebrate for the mothers from Ukraine and Russia, if it even crosses their mind. Staggering numbers of mothers andtheir children have left Ukraine and their husbands behind to become refugees. On the other side, mothers of Russian soldiers have been calling a hotline desperate to find out what has happened to their sons.

One political area where equality has been rare is women being heads of major countries. No woman that has served in that capacity has initiated war, as far as I know. I sure would like to see how many more would in that capacity.

We have had women Presidents of the American Psychiatric Association and do so now. They have often focused on the neglected social aspects of our bio-psycho-social model. That preference would likely lead to an increased focus on peace and international relationships—just what we need globally.

Dr Moffic is an award-winning psychiatrist who has specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry. A prolific writer and speaker, he received the one-time designation of Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association in 2002. He is an advocate for mental health issues relate to climate instability, burnout, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism for a better world. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric Times^TM.