Care is a common good that must be nurtured and valued

As the only NGO present, MMM was invited to take part in recognition of our consistent and committed work on the topic of care and support, in particular, that of mothers.

The discussion ‘Investing in human rights-based care and support economy in attaining the 2030 agenda’ brought together Member States, UN Agencies, actors of the labour market and other stakeholders, providing us with a great opportunity to underline the economic value of a mother’s unpaid care work.

It is no secret that globally, women spend over 3 times more hours per day on unpaid care and domestic work than men, with mothers bearing the brunt of this vital work.

Afaf provided a timely reminder that maternity exacerbates gender inequalities (SDG 5), contributes to poverty (SDG 1), and impacts health and well-being (SDG 3).

She told the high-level gathering: “If we want to attain the SDGs, and we don’t have much time left, we need a radical shift in how we view caregiving responsibilities and how they are shared”.

Read the whole speech here