I always respect a woman.

The words of Enrique Iglesias, “I always respect a woman,” are simple on the tongue, yet profound in their echo. They carry not only the weight of courtesy, but the strength of an ancient law written into the fabric of human decency. To respect a woman is not merely to offer kindness or politeness, but to honor her dignity, her strength, her mind, and her soul. It is to recognize that within her lies both the power to give life and the wisdom to guide it, that she is neither lesser nor secondary, but a being of equal light beneath the sun.

In ages past, there were civilizations that honored this truth. Among the Egyptians, queens such as Hatshepsut ruled with wisdom and authority, commanding armies and shaping empires. Among the Greeks, the goddess Athena was revered as the embodiment of wisdom and strategy. In India, the figure of Saraswati has long been honored as the goddess of knowledge. In these traditions, to respect a woman was to respect the very forces that upheld learning, justice, and life itself. Iglesias’s words, though spoken in modern simplicity, echo this timeless reverence.

Yet the history of mankind is also marked by betrayal of this respect. Too often has the voice of the woman been silenced, her labor ignored, her worth diminished by custom or law. We see in the struggles of women’s suffrage, in the cries of those who fought for the right to learn, to vote, to speak, that respect was denied for centuries. And yet, through perseverance, women rose, as Curie did in her laboratories, as Rosa Parks did upon the bus, as countless mothers did in their households, raising generations in strength. To respect a woman is to recognize this long river of struggle and triumph, and to vow never again to let it be ignored.

The meaning of Iglesias’s statement becomes sharper here. It is not a mere gesture of gallantry, nor the courtesy of a gentleman opening a door. It is a call to see respect as a way of life: in speech, in thought, in deed. To respect a woman is to listen when she speaks, to honor her choices, to safeguard her freedom, to never reduce her to ornament or possession. It is to recognize that her worth does not flow from comparison with man, but from her own inborn dignity.

We may recall the story of Eleanor Roosevelt, who as First Lady of the United States transformed her role from passive figurehead to active force for justice. She spoke for the voiceless, worked for human rights, and stood tall in rooms where women’s words were often dismissed. She once declared, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Her life was the embodiment of Iglesias’s creed—for she commanded respect not through demand, but through the undeniable force of her character.

The lesson to carry is clear: respect is not optional—it is sacred. To respect a woman is to uphold humanity itself, for through women life is born, nurtured, and carried forward. To disrespect a woman is to dishonor the very fountain of existence. If one wishes to walk in wisdom, to live in justice, to be remembered as noble, then one must hold this truth as unshakable: every woman, in every place, deserves respect.

Practical actions follow from this. Speak of women with honor, not with ridicule. Protect their dignity in public and private, refusing to join in mockery or degradation. Support their ambitions, whether in home, in work, in art, or in leadership. Teach children that respect is the first law of love. And in your heart, hold firm this vow: always respect a woman, for in doing so you respect life, creation, and the highest order of human dignity.

Thus, Enrique Iglesias’s words, though uttered as a simple truth, carry the weight of an eternal teaching. “I always respect a woman.” May we hear these words not as a singer’s phrase, but as a commandment for our age. For to live by them is to walk the path of honor, and to leave behind a world where dignity reigns brighter than arrogance, and love stronger than pride.