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

Envisioning care as a common thread to global crises

29.07.24

UN New York - Our virtual HLPF side-event brought together experts to shed light on how the various global crises we face (in particular climate change and other environmental crises,

Lire plus

We call for multi-stakeholder approach to recognise and support unpaid care work

21.07.24

UN New York - Participating in the meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on care and support systems, MMM reaffirmed the principle of co-responsibility, which should underpin

Lire plus

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
See all the articlesof the category

Latest News from MMM and its Network

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

Placing Target 5.4 at the Core: A Key to Accelerating SDG Synergies

06.07.25

UN New York – Ahead of the 2025 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) MMM's written statement focuses on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 on Gender equality, which is under review this year. More specifically

Read more

Financing for development: time to invest in Care and Wellbeing

06.07.25

From 30 June to 3 July, Make Mothers Matter was in Sevilla, Spain, for the 4th UN International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). Here’s a look back at this major UN event and the key takeaways

Read more

Financing for development matters for mothers

05.07.25

Following the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Sevilla, Spain, we explore why Financing for Development is critical for mothers around the world.

Read more

Belgian Mothers Face Alarming Rates of Burnout and Perinatal Depression, New EU Survey Finds

03.07.25

Belgian mothers are facing a mental health crisis. According to the State of Motherhood in Europe 2024 survey by Make Mothers Matter (MMM) and Kantar, Belgium reports the highest rates of both maternal burnout

Read more