Dear editor,

I recently had the opportunity to witness the beginning of life as my wife gave birth to a baby girl at the North Island Comox Valley Hospital. There is nothing simple about childbirth and it is an intense process for everyone involved.

Fortunately, we have a fantastic group of medical professionals to help us navigate this daunting experience. The team that was involved with this birth was a female team of a doctor, two nurses, an anesthesiologist, my wife鈥檚 mother, and myself. It was an awesome site of teamwork as I watched them go to work. Any organization that offers weekend retreats on synergy should take a page from this collection of women.

As I essentially tried to stay out of the way, I was impressed with the calm and professional demeanour of these individuals. Full of confidence and direction yet always taking inputs from my wife or others, even myself, I could not wonder the irony that we have a prime minister so focused on feminism. These women, so strong, certainly didn鈥檛 need any input from anyone else, including a male, as they worked methodically and systematically through childbirth.

All I can say is when I read about the PM having so much focus on feminism, I wonder if strong women like this team really care what he thinks.

While I believe in a progressive society, I don鈥檛 think one man should feel the need to take the lead. I firmly believe it is individual women like the ones at the CV Hospital that are carving the way for equality and fairness.

Julian White

Courtenay