MAKE MOTHERS MATTER

🌎 International Feminist NGO 💪 Unpaid Care Work | Motherhood Penalty | Maternal Mental Health | Gender Equality 📢 Advocating for Mothers

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The State of Motherhood in Europe 2024 - Survey by Make Motrers Matter of 9600 Mothers in 12 European Countries

THE STATE OF MOTHERHOOD SURVEY 2024

ANNUAL REPORTS

Every day, often alongside their professional lives, mothers devote countless hours to CARE – from household tasks to raising and supporting their children. Sociologists call it INVISIBLE WORK. Although its economic contribution is immense, it remains unseen, unrecognised and undervalued. LET’S VALUE THE INVISIBLE WORK OF MOTHERS. MOTHERS FEATURED ON THE NEXT BANKNOTES? THE CAMPAIGN STORY For the first time since 2002, the European Central Bank (ECB) has launched a contest to redesign Eurozone banknotes. This historic moment offers a unique opportunity to make the invisible work of mothers visible. That’s why we teamed up with Saatchi & Saatchi France, inviting six illustrators from across Europe – all mothers themselves – to create designs that celebrate the essential tasks of motherhood. The powerful illustrations have been created by Aurore Petit, Meroo Seth, Virginie Kypriotis, Adolie Day, Maelys Chay and Alice Hoffman. Each design highlights a fundamental caregiving task — nurturing, comforting, teaching, protecting — all acts that build our future. 1. ENTERTAINMENT 2. HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT 3. ORGANISING DAILY LIFE 4. LISTENING AND SUPPORT 5. EDUCATION 6. CARE

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Elisa Valentin, UNESCO Youth Representative for Make Mothers Matter, speaking at the UNESCO International Forum of NGOs during a session on Youth as Co-Architects of Peace and Stability. The presentation highlights the Promo Jeunes Basket project in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, which uses sport to promote peacebuilding, resilience and opportunities for young people.

Afaf Abounouadar, Executive Director of Make Mothers Matter (MMM), speaking at an event hosted at La Cité Audacieuse in Paris focused on the realities of single-parent families and maternal wellbeing. During the event, MMM presented findings from the State of Motherhood in Europe 2024 survey, highlighting the challenges faced by mothers in France, including mental overload, maternal mental health concerns, work-life balance difficulties, and the unequal distribution of unpaid care work. The event brought together elected officials from the City of Paris, associations supporting families and women's rights, and civil society organisations committed to advancing gender equality, parental support, and recognition of the care economy. Keywords: motherhood in France, maternal mental health, single mothers, family policy, unpaid care work, work-life balance, State of Motherhood in Europe 2024, Make Mothers Matter.

Promotional graphic for an online webinar on job sharing and the future of work, hosted by Make Mothers Matter (MMM). The image highlights how job sharing can improve work-life balance, support working parents, promote gender equality, and help employers retain talent. Speakers from Belgium, France, Germany, and Switzerland will share insights and best practices on flexible work models. Event details: 16 June 2026, 12:00–13:00 CET, open worldwide, with English and French interpretation. Topics include job sharing, family-friendly workplaces, flexible working arrangements, talent retention, leadership, and the future of work.

post pour la fete des meres france avec la fondation des femmes.

graphic for Save the Children Italy’s Le Equilibriste 2026 report on motherhood in Italy, featuring the statistic that 69% of mothers aged 18–24 report mental health struggles, compared with 50% of mothers overall in Europe, based on Make Mothers Matter research. Themes: maternal mental health, young mothers, burnout, postpartum depression, and family support policies.

Una eurodiputada italiana, Licia Ronzulli, interviene en el Parlamento Europeo mientras lleva a su bebé en un portabebés. La imagen incluye el texto: “16 años para reconocer que maternidad y liderazgo político no son incompatibles”. La publicación destaca la decisión del Parlamento Europeo de permitir que las eurodiputadas embarazadas y las nuevas madres puedan delegar su voto durante la baja por maternidad.

#MyTimeMatters campaign raising awareness about unpaid care work in Europe, highlighting gender inequalities in childcare and domestic work, women’s mental load, and the need for fairer care policies and work-life balance

Affiche de l’événement « Comment ça va, maman ? (vraiment) » consacré à la santé mentale des mères. L’événement aura lieu le vendredi 29 mai 2026 de 9h à 13h à l’Hôtel de Ville de Bordeaux. Le visuel présente le titre de l’événement sur un fond sobre et met en avant une matinée d’échanges et de tables rondes autour de l’épuisement maternel, de la charge mentale et des réponses collectives pour soutenir les parents.

Gráfico del Día de la Madre compartido por Malasmadres sobre un artículo que aborda los retos de la maternidad ante un sistema rígido que no favorece la conciliación, destacando que se ha normalizado estar agotada y que el 78% de las madres españolas se sienten mentalmente sobrecargadas.

Cover of Make Mothers Matter 2025 Annual Report titled “A Year in Review 2025 – Mother-Centered Advocacy in Action,” with illustration of mothers and children, representing global advocacy for care economy, gender equality, and maternal wellbeing.

Couverture du rapport annuel 2025 de Make Mothers Matter intitulé « Rapport annuel 2025 », avec un design rouge et une illustration de mères et d’enfants, mettant en avant le plaidoyer pour l’égalité des genres, l’économie du care et le bien-être maternel.

Affiche d’événement intitulé « Comment ça va, maman ? (vraiment) », une agora citoyenne dédiée à la santé mentale des mères et aux responsabilités collectives. L’événement a lieu le vendredi 29 mai 2026 de 9h à 13h à l’Hôtel de Ville, Place Pey Berland à Bordeaux. Inscription gratuite avec places limitées via QR code. Visuel coloré avec illustration d’une mère tenant un bébé et accompagnée d’un enfant, entourée des logos des organisations partenaires et institutionnelles.

Event poster for “Investing in Children’s Mental Health across all their environments,” hosted by MEP András Kulja at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event is scheduled for Thursday, 7 May 2026, from 13:00 to 14:30 CEST in the Spinelli Building (Room A5F385). It highlights the importance of investing in children’s mental health across different environments and is part of European Mental Health Week (4–8 May 2026). The poster includes a QR code for registration (deadline 30 April) and logos of partner organisations including Make Mothers Matter, Eurochild, Save the Children, EuroHealthNet, and others.

Online panel discussion for Equal Parenting Week 2026 focused on modern parenthood, gender equality, shared care, flexible working and the motherhood penalty, bringing together experts and parents to discuss how to achieve equal parenting at home and in the workplace.

Statistic highlighting that 1 in 4 children in the European Union face poverty and social exclusion, with a focus on children’s mental health and inequality in Europe.

Poster for the conference “Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth: A Global Roadmap for a New Economy,” taking place on Wednesday 22 April 2026 at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva and online. The event runs from 09:00 to 18:30 CEST and features a “Register to attend” call-to-action. Logos of the United Nations Human Rights Council, New Economies for Eradicating Poverty (NEEP), and the Global Coalition for Social Justice appear at the top, with multiple partner organisations displayed at the bottom, including UN agencies, NGOs, and research institutions.

Job-sharing as an innovative solution for working mothers, promoting flexible work, gender equality, and better work-life balance.

Graphic about the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030 highlighting that achieving gender equality in Europe may take another 50 years, according to the EIGE Gender Equality Index. The slide introduces the urgency of closing gender gaps affecting women and mothers across Europe.

Blue graphic showing a group of diverse women in the background with the message: “Women only have 64% of the legal rights of men globally.” The graphic highlights global gender inequality in legal protections and introduces a campaign by Make Mothers Matter on recognising care work and strengthening justice systems.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, speaking with a mother at a community event in Wales about the importance of maternal mental health.

Infographic on maternal wellbeing in Ireland showing that 77% of mothers report feeling overloaded, compared to the 67% European Union average. Data from the Make Mothers Matter State of Motherhood in Europe 2024 survey highlights mental health, caregiver stress, and the care burden affecting Irish mothers. Bar chart in red and beige comparing Ireland and EU maternal wellbeing statistics.

Video clip of Farah Arabe speaking at the UN Commission for Social Development about the need for systemic investment in care, highlighting caregiving as a public good and calling for stronger support systems for mothers and gender equality.

Panel discussion at the London School of Economics on maternal psychological wellbeing. Four speakers sit on stage facing an audience in a lecture theatre, with presentation screens behind them showing speaker photos and event information. The headline reads “Maternal Psychological Wellbeing: What We Heard — and What Comes Next.” The image highlights that a lookback article and full event recording are available, with logos of Make Mothers Matter, LSE and partner organisations focused on maternal mental health.

linkedin News article about Make Mothers Matter

Guardian article highlighting Make Mothers Matter’s State of Motherhood Survey, reporting that seven out of 10 UK mothers feel overloaded and nearly half face anxiety or depression statistics for european countries. UK, france, Italy, Spain, Ireland, sweden, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, Belgium, Slovakia, Germany

Guardian article highlighting Make Mothers Matter’s State of Motherhood Survey, reporting that seven out of 10 UK mothers feel overloaded and nearly half face anxiety or depression, illustrated by a mother holding a baby in silhouette.

Bold text reading “The economy runs on mothers but refuses to see them” over an image of a mother caring for a child. Visual highlights unpaid care work done by mothers and the invisibility of care in the economy during Reclaim the Economy Week.

We don’t have a motherhood problem — we have a system problem! Gender inequalities are exacerbated by motherhood. And mothers continue to pay the price — emotionally, financially, in security, and rights. This is why we speak up. This is why we push for change that values care. Our Executive Director, Afaf Abounouadar reflects on what she has learned since joining Make Mothers Matter — and why transforming systems must be the priority. Read her end-of-year message in our latest newsletter 💛

UNESCO, Paris – On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the 1960 Convention against Discrimination in Education, UNESCO brought together the global community at an International Symposium on the Future of the Right to Education, held on 9 December 2025 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Make Mothers Matter (MMM) played an active role in this event.

Gender Equality Index Report 2025

¿Quién sostiene realmente la Navidad? Casi siempre, las madres. ⭐ La Navidad hace visible lo que ocurre todo el año: la carga mental recae sobre las madres. La periodista Diana Oliver, en El País, lo confirma con datos de la encuesta presentada por Make Mothers Matter en el Parlamento Europeo: 📊 78% de las madres españolas están sobrecargadas 📊 Asumen 64% de las tareas del hogar 📊 Solo 53% siente reconocimiento En estas fechas, la desigualdad se intensifica: regalos, organización, colegio, logística emocional… un trabajo invisible que sostiene a las familias. Este artículo muestra por qué visibilizar la carga mental y el cuidado es esencial para avanzar hacia la igualdad.

Un immense merci à @benjamin_muller__ de @tf1info pour avoir si bien expliqué la charge mentale avec « l’expérience du savon » — cette surcharge invisible que tant de mères portent au quotidien. 💛 Merci également à Sabine Bouchoul pour avoir partagé l’enquête de @mmm.makemothersmatter et mis en lumière les résultats de notre enquête « the state of motherhood 2024 » Votre soutien médiatique est essentiel pour une prise de conscience de ce sujet et pour créer les conditions du changement. Merci pour votre engagement. 👉 Lire l’article ici ou en Linkinbio: https://www.tf1info.fr/sante/sante-mentale-des-femmes-67-des-meres-se-disent-epuisees-a-cause-de-la-surcharge-mentale-2409107.html . . . . #MakeMothersMatter #ChargeMentale #TF1Info #chargementaledesfemmes #burnoutmaternel

67% des mères européennes sont en surcharge mentale : tout ce qu’il faudrait enfin faire pour changer la donne . article marie claire France pour Make Mothers Matter

Child Rights Manifesto in Europ

Let’s talk about the UK’s paternity leave and how it supports mums.. 📣 “Paternity leave is a mother f…r” That’s the bold billboard campaign coming from Dad Shift and Pregnant Then Screwed. We agree that the UK paternity leave is a joke. It is the worst in Europe, fathers get just two low-paid weeks. This outdated system doesn’t only fail dads — it fails mothers, children and families. The absence of fathers & non-birthing partners in the early days of a child’s life affects:: 🍼 mothers’ recovery and mental health 👶 babies’ bonding and development 💼 long-term gender equality at home and at work When dads can’t be present, mothers pay the price — physically, emotionally, and professionally. At Make Mothers Matter, we stand with all calling for fair, paid and longer paternity leave — because caregiving should be shared, valued, and supported. 💬 Agree? Share this in your stories, tag us, @pregnantthenscrewed and @dadshiftuk & let’s make noise for change! 👉 Join the campaign in linkinbio or here: https://linktr.ee/dadshift #Makemothersmatter #dadshift #pregnantthenscrewed #paternityleave #maternityleave #maternalmentalhealth #TwoWeeksIsntEnough

Santé mentale des mères : un enjeu de société trop souvent ignoré. Trop de mères souffrent de troubles de santé mentale, dépression postpartum et d’anxiété — alors qu’elles sont au cœur de nos sociétés et de nos économies. Retrouvez Lucille Wattraint (experte en conciliation des vies, parentalités en entreprise) et Marion Desreumaux (cheffe de projets études, APEC) dans Le Cercle RH, une émission de B SMART 4 Change, présentée par Arnaud Ardoin. 2 statistiques partagées, illustrent bien les difficultés de conciliation entre parentalité et carrière pour les mères: 📊 50% des mères souffrent de problèmes de santé mentale en France - MMM state of motherhood in Europe survey 💡45% des mères travaillent sous contraintes familiales et souffrent d’épuisement professionnel, stress… - Etude APEC 2025 #Makemothersmatter #santémentale #chargementale #famille #feminisme #feministe #surchargeparentale #parentalité #maternité #ressourceshumaines #rhfrance #apec

Empowering caregivers. Protecting our planet. 🌍✨ We are proud to see our member, Friendship NGO, recognised as a 2025 Earthshot Prize finalist — showing how care and climate action go hand in hand. Founded by Runa Khan in 2002, Friendship has been selected in the “Fix Our Climate” category for its inspiring, locally-led work in Bangladesh — from mangrove restoration to disaster-resilient infrastructure and community health programmes. Let’s keep uplifting changemakers who offer promising solutions,driving us closer to this Earthshot goal. ❤️

“I just had to get on with it” – mothers speak up on the hidden toll of work, family, and mental health

Our 5 key recommendations on Rtve, calling on EU leaders to act now

Malas madres mentions Make Mothers Matter Survey in El País

What MMM asked the European Parliament

Last week, we spoke directly to EU policymakers and institutions at our event at the European Parliament. We put forward 5 actionable recommendations for mothers in Europe: 👉 Parental leave: Moms still take more leave than dads. When that leave isn’t fairly paid, it’s mothers who lose income, career progress, and long-term security. Paid leave must be equal and fair — so parenting costs are shared, not carried by moms alone. 👉 Flexible work: Right now, parents only have the right to ask for flexibility — and employers can say no. Flexibility shouldn’t be a favor. It should be a right, available to all. 👉 Maternal mental health: Every parent deserves support during pregnancy and after birth — but too often, this need is ignored. Maternal mental health must be included in the EU Child Guarantee, and the EU should adopt a Recommendation on perinatal mental health so no mother is left behind. 👉 Healthcare: Pregnancy and early motherhood are times of change. Anxiety and depression are common — yet mental health is excluded from care. Integrating perinatal mental health into maternal and child health systems (implementing the 2022 WHO guide on perinatal mental health) means moms get support and children get the best start in life. 👉 Unpaid care: Every day, millions care for children, elders and families — without recognition or pay. This invisible labor is the backbone of our societies. It’s time to value care as essential work and support those who provide it. 💡Join us in demanding these changes. SHARE this post.

MMM responds à Tendances Première RTBF – Le Dossier Enquête sur la maternité : Comment vont les mamans en Europe ?

What's the problem with motherhood?

State of Motherhood in Europe Survey - FRANCE Results

“Motherhood Should Come With a Warning Label” 📹 By Emily Holzknecht & Adam Westbrook – The New York Times What’s the real cost of motherhood? In this insightful video, New York Times readers share their personal experiences — the joys, the challenges, and the unspoken truths. Well worth listening to. #MakeMothersMatter #Motherhood #MotherRights #Parenting #MaternalHealth #MothersVoices #motherhoodpenalty

La maternité change tout… parfois même nos carrières. Une mère sur 4 dit que la maternité a eu un effet négatif sur sa carrière. 17 % réduisent leur temps de travail. 53 % changent de statut pro. Et si on arrêtait de penser que tout ça est toujours un choix ? 👉 Garde, finances, temps… Les raisons sont multiples. Les conséquences, souvent invisibles, amplifient les inégalités. 📊 Données issues de l’étude “State of Motherhood in Europe” menée par @makemothersmatter En savoir plus ? 🔗 Lien en bio ou https://makemothersmatter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/France_One-pager-MMM-State-of-Motherhood-2024-1.pdf 💬 Partage si toi aussi tu veux briser le silence. Et toi, comment as-tu géré ta carrière quand tu es devenue mère? 💪 Raconte en commentaire. ⬇️ Merci @juliefoubert.bethechange et @juliakerninon pour cette collab qui donne de la voix aux mères qui travaillent. Portrait of a (Working) Mother | Photo de @marinacavazzafotografia #makemothersmatter #Iamamother #ParentalitéÉquitable #mère #parents #PolitiquesFamiliales #famille

Portrait of a (Working) Mother Exhibition

World Refugee Day

stop the war on children

We All Talk - Care in a Wellbeing Economy

😲 “Two billion people. Eight hours a day. Unpaid.” In the latest edition of the @wellbeingeconomyalliance - WEAll Talk, host Simon Ticehurst reacts to Valerie Bichelmeier’s - @unitednations representative - presentation on the true scale and value of unpaid care work. 💥 A third of humanity is doing essential work — FOR FREE — and it is still invisible in our economies. Why? Because care work, mostly done by women, is undervalued. Yet, the global economy rests on its shoulders. 👉 Watch the full talk here https://lnkd.in/e3P6P6nq or linkinbio 🙏 A big thank you to @wellbeingeconomyalliance for inviting us to be part of this vital conversation on care in a wellbeing economy.

Afaf Abounouadar on La Matrescence Podcast for MAke Mothers Matter

The Voices of Mothers webinar replay

Make Mothers Matter - 2025 New Year, Renewed Commitment

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Cover of Make Mothers Matter 2025 Annual Report titled “A Year in Review 2025 – Mother-Centered Advocacy in Action,” featuring an illustration of diverse mothers and children, highlighting global advocacy for gender equality, care economy, and maternal wellbeing.

A YEAR IN REVIEW 2024

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