25.11.18
Brussels, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women - Mothers need positive pregnancy and birth experiences, as well as respectful maternity care. Worldwide, laws and practice still do not comply with these fundamental rights.
Many women across the globe experience disrespectful, abusive or neglectful treatment during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care, whether in high, medium and low-income countries. Such treatments include physical abuse, profound humiliation and verbal abuse, coercive or unconsented medical procedures (including sterilization), lack of confidentiality, failure to get fully informed consent, refusal to give adequate pain relief, violations of privacy, refusal of admission to health facilities, neglecting women during childbirth to suffer life-threatening avoidable complications, and detention of women and their newborns in facilities after childbirth.
In Europe, the issue only begins to be recognized, albeit amid controversy. A lot still needs to be done.
Along with 15 other associations, Make Mothers Matter urges Governments to eliminate all forms of institutional obstetric and gynecological violence against women.
Governments must promote respectful maternity care, and involve mothers and women’s groups in all decisions concerning childbirth policies and practices. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has made several recommendations to address the issue, including on the prevention and elimination of disrespect and abuse during childbirth, on positive pregnancy and birth. A report of the UN Working Group on discrimination against women also calls for action.
Every woman has the right to the highest attainable standard of health, including the right to dignified, respectful health care throughout pregnancy and childbirth, as well as the right to be free from violence and discrimination.
02.07.22
UN New York, HLPF - Join us on July 11th for a discussion on how #SharingTheCare at every level - family, community, governments and private sector - is vital for
26.04.22
We are delighted to be launching our new podcast series An almost Perfect Mother featuring Isabelle Roskam, professor of development and parenting psychology at the University of Louvain, Belgium. Isa
09.05.22
UN New York, HLPF - In the Sustainable Development Goals, Target 5.4 calls for the recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid family care work, i.e. the domestic and care work
14.03.23
Make Mothers Matter submitted its contribution to the Call for Evidence of the EU Commission on Mental Health.
25.01.23
A new Act, the Coroners (Amendment) 2019 Act, was passed in full and enacted at the beginning of 2020. This law makes reporting and inquests into all maternal deaths mandatory. It also allows Coroners to go bey
18.12.22
The European Child Guarantee and universal maternal healthcare in Europe: the essential role of maternal health in the first 1000 days of child development
14.12.22
Despite the growing number of families headed by a single parent, single parents remain one of the most vulnerable groups when it comes to poverty, housing and energy deficits, and health challenges.
06.12.22
We are searching for an academic partner for an EU survey on issues concerning mothers to be used as a lever for change.
18.11.22
We need care when we are very young or very old, experiencing sickness or disability and the people who provide this care are indispensable actors in European economies and societies.