Care – and mothers – must be at the center of systemic changes to our economy

15.09.20

UN Geneva, Human Rights Council - During the discussion on the impact of Covid-19 on Human Rights, MMM echoes the UN SG on the importance of Care, and calls on governments to move towards a more caring economic model.

“The pandemic has shown us who is doing the work that really matters: nurses, teachers, care workers. As we recover, we need to remember this. It is time to end the inequities of unpaid care work and create new economic models that work for everyone”
Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General,
Town Hall with Young Women from Civil Society Organizations on 31 August 2020

We at MMM fully agree but place MOTHERS alongside teachers, nurses and care workers. Mothers have also played a key role in keeping their children, families and communities together.

The crisis has shown what really matters: It has all been about care and education, and the people performing these duties. Whether paid or unpaid, they must be better recognized and supported

The Covid-19 crisis gives us a unique opportunity to “build back better” and it starts with our economy. We MUST move away from an economy that prioritizes GDP growth and profit-making over the wellbeing of people and the planet.

Instead we must design a new caring economic model that values, recognizes and enables the conditions for us all to care and be cared for.

A few governments have started to move to a “wellbeing economy” and are showing us the way.

We call on the UN and member States to support such a shift by establishing a new platform to discuss indicators to replace GDP and to drive us towards a caring new economic model.

MMM Oral Statement for download

Karen Thorsen delivered this statement on behalf of MMM on 15 September during the General Debate on Item 2 of the 45th Session of the Human Rights Council.

 

Most read articles

The New EU Gender Equality Roadmap : A Call for Inclusion of Mothers

04.03.25

The European Commission’s initiative on a new Gender Equality Roadmap post-2025, marks a significant step forward in addressing gender disparities across the European Union. Make Mothers Matter (MMM

Lire plus

Sharing is caring:
equal parenting, a path to social cohesion?

27.01.25

UN New York, UN Commission on Social Development – Register now to our virtual side-event for a discussion on how a more equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work

Lire plus

Child and Family Support in Europe : ensuring families receive the best possible care

05.12.24

We were delighted to coorganise, together with the European Parents Association (EPA), the “Quality Assurance in Child and Family Support in Europe: Policy Lessons for Evidence-Informed Decision

Lire plus
See all the articlesof the category

Latest News from MMM and its Network

Mothers: The Missing Link in Child Rights Discussions?

01.08.25

UN New York – Following the Human Rights Council's 2025 Annual day on the rights of the child – which focussed on Early Childhood Development – a resolution on that same topic will be tabled at the 80th U

Read more

Human-Centred Strategy: Care at the Core of Sustainability

29.07.25

UN New York – UN New York – On 16 July, we hosted a side-event at the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF) titled Unpaid Care at the Core: A Catalyst for Achieving the SDGs. The event aimed to highlight the

Read more

Empowering Mothers, Advancing Rights: MMM at HRC59

14.07.25

UN Geneva - The UN Human Rights Council provides a crucial platform for advocacy and engagement on key human rights issues that affect mothers. This overview highlights MMM’s engagement at the 59th session of

Read more

Intergenerational Solidarity in work-life balance and childcare

13.07.25

MMM was invited to speak at AGE’s annual conference, which focused on contributing to the EU Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness. The event explored a range of key areas, including the labour market, healt

Read more

Joint Letter to EU Leaders: MMM and Partners Advocate for Strategic Investment in Children and Families

09.07.25

Make Mothers Matter, along with 24 member organisations of the Alliance for Investing in Children, has sent a joint letter to Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission), Roberta Metsola (Presid

Read more

Unpaid Care at the Core: A Catalyst for Achieving the SDGs

06.07.25

UN New York / HLPF - Register now to join us online for our High Level Political Forum side-event.

Read more