Women on Paper Currency

Glorifying prominent women leaders in history by putting their images on the currency of their countries shows how democratic and developed these countries are. It underlines how much these countries respect and recognize women’s achievements in their societies.

A recent US “Time” magazine report has revealed that the United States comes far behind ten other countries which put female leaders on their paper currency, and among which Syria is the only Arab state.

The report uncovers that Syria, Mexico, Britain, Argentina, the Philippines and Turkey were among the ten states which glorified their women leading personalities and put their images on their banknotes.

Syria, the cradle of all civilizations and the home of heavenly religions, recognized women in its currency many years ago. Syrian Queen Zenobia, known for her fighting against the Roman colonizers in the second century AD appears on the Syrian 500-pound note.

The women of many Arab and western states, which allege “to be” defending the Syrians’ rights by backing the ongoing terrorist war against the democratic Syrian State, are still struggling to get their least rights and achieve some sort of equality with men. These countries are far behind Syria as far as democracy and women rights are concerned.

Syria’s current image in the world is that of a war-torn country fighting terrorist organizations like ISIS, al-Nousra Front and other extremist takfiri terrorists and mercenaries who came from all over the world to destroy the state, eradicate its thousands years old history and undermine its decades old achievements. But this won’t continue, thanks to the steadfastness and determination of the Syrian people, army and leadership to uproot the terrorism and restore Syria’s position as a civilized state that exports freedom and democracy to the entire world. 

Even the U.S. itself which claims that it is the top sponsor and defender of democracy in the world, has recently announced a campaign calling for having women leaders on the $20 note in a late move showing how far behind the United States is compared with other countries in terms of applying democracy principles. It is not strange for the U.S., which is only 2 hundred years old, built on the rubbles of other nations, to be late in making such a step.

 The US move came after President Barack Obama last year received a letter from a nine-year-old girl asking him why women don’t have coins or dollar bills with their faces on them and urging him to make a decision in this respect. The girl has finally gotten a letter back from the President telling her that it is a “pretty good idea” to put a woman on U.S. currency.

Hamda Mustafa