EU Projects
Since 2011, MMM participates in several EU research projects.
Ongoing projects
BAC4SHC, Empowering startups
The project, funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Staff exchange action of the European Commission, is dedicated to the study of the startup ecosystem, with a focus on the role of the human capital of Business Angels and Crowdinvestors in promoting the transition towards the Green Economy and Gender Equality.
It is well known that male entrepreneurs and investors are still predominant in the entrepreneurial finance ecosystem. Women and minorities, such as immigrant entrepreneurs, are frequently disadvantaged in obtaining early-stage financingand represent an under-researched stream of research in entrepreneurship. MMM will provide specific expertise in this domain of gender discrimination and diversity aspects, with the aim of fostering women entrepreneurship.
MMM will help also to disseminate the research results through its women and mothers entrepreneurs networks.
The partners are: Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale,UPO, Italy; Accirculate SPRL
ACC, Belgium; Politecnico di Milano, POL, Italy; Université Lyon 3 Jean Moulin, UJM
France; B12 CONSULTING, B12, Belgium; WeAreStarting srl, WAS, Italy.
ASSIST, heAlthcare incluSion of motherS wIth diSabiliTy
Persons with disabilities in Europe are still suffering under societal bias, inaccessible infrastructure, and unsupportive behaviours. Mothers with disabilities in particular constitute a focus group often ignored by policymakers, academic researchers, and healthcare professionals.
The project Assist aims to make healthcare equally accessible and inclusive to mothers with disabilities in every phase of motherhood and to eliminate attitudinal biases and contribute to the development of supportive policies and practices.
The project brings together a consortium of three Higher Education Institutions from Italy and Greece (University of Athens, University of Turin, University of Salerno) and organisations from Greece (Symplexis), Belgium (ReadLab), Italy (CESIE), Ireland (REDIAL), and MMM as coordinator.
Mom Virtual Assistant (MAV)
This Project aims to help new mothers return or stay in the labourmarket.
In this Erasmus+ project, MMM is partnering with 3 other organisations: Leader srls (coordinator, Italy), The Apartment (Italy) and Nantik Lum (Spain).
All mothers, also new mothers, are affected by the “Motherhood Penalty”, which consists of the specific discriminations and social and economic injustices experienced by women when they are mothers.
The MAV project wants to empower mothers by providing free access for new mothers (0-6 years) to training programmes focused on enhancing the application of the “superpowers of motherhood” in new digital professions, such as Virtual Assistants.
The MAV project promotes all the competencies acquired through motherhood as “superpowers” because motherhood is a unique form of informal learning that should be promoted in the labour market and not just a “hole” in a resume.
MothersCan
This Erasmus+ project wants to promote the principle of equal participation in the labor market with equal employment and career conditions for mothers in the EU.
The project aims at influencing the EU agenda to raise awareness of gender equality needs and challenges in the workplace and to showcase innovative ways to empower women returning to work after maternity leave. It will offer solutions that are locally applicable and transferable across the EU to other member states.
The ImmuHubs Project
Make Mothers Matter is part of the Stakeholders Forum (SF) of The ImmuHubs Project. This European Union’s funded Health Programme (2014-2020) aims to reduce transmission of vaccine-preventable diseases by establishing proactive partnerships with citizen groups, public health agencies, key stakeholders and the general public to improve access to vaccination uptake among disadvantaged, isolated, and difficult to reach population groups.
The SF’s role is to provide critical perspectives and new insights on the complex determinants of immunisation, support actions and amplify best practices for vaccination uptake and health literacy in the EU and the WHO European Region.
The transdisciplinary SF represents policy and public health institutions (WHO, WHO-Euro, OSCE, IOM, UNICEF), national governments (German and Italian MOH; INSERM), industry (Vaccines Europe), regulatory (EMA, MHRA), citizen groups and patient organisations (FFF, Make Mothers Matter), humanitarian and advocacy organisations (Sabin Institute, Hellenic Red Cross), media organisations (Vaccines Today), health professional and scientific organisations (ESPID, ESGIE, ESWI).
Spiomet4Health
MMM is part of SPIOMET4HEALTH, a new Horizon 2020 health project whose main objective is to study, in a multi-centric phase II clinical trial, a new treatment for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine-metabolic disorder among women of reproductive age, a disorder affecting 5-10% of women worldwide.
This syndrome is the most frequent cause of infertility, and is also associated with other lifelong disorders, like type 2 diabetes, premenopausal cancer and anxiety/depression, with a negative impact on the (mental) health and quality of life of these women and their children.
To face this challenge, SPIOMET4HEALTH, coordinated by Fundació Sant Joan de Déu/Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, will collaborate with 17 organizations: key research groups working on PCOS across Europe.
The design of SPIOMET4HEALTH foresees that the patients (adolescents and young adults) will be engaged over the entire timespan of the project and will also contribute to the ultimate study evaluation.
MMM will support the engagement of patients in the project and will map policies that are relevant for patients suffering from PCOS, raising awareness of policymakers and the public on this disorder.
Riseup-PPD
COST ACTION
(Research Network in Peripartum Depression Disorder)
Make Mothers Matter is part of the new EU research network on Peripartum Depression Disorder (PPD) where we are co-leading a working group on the dissemination of results.
The main goal of Riseup-PPD COST ACTION which started in April 2019 and will have a duration of 5 years, is to establish a Pan-European multidisciplinary network of researchers dedicated to the understanding of PPD, from its prevention and assessment to its treatment and global impact. Currently, 27 countries in the EU and beyond are part of this network including Albania, Israel, Turkey, Serbia, Bosnia, Norway, US and Brazil.
Riseup-PPD aims at filling gaps in PPD research, practice and social awareness by developing updated reviews, fostering research efforts on the standardisation of diagnostic criteria, the development of adequate screening tools and cost-effectiveness evaluation of prevention and treatment programs.
Finally, Riseup-PPD aims at developing a clinical protocol at EU level on how to treat PPD.
(The European Family Support Network)
MMM is part of a new Pan-European Family Support Network. The main aim and objective of the Action is to build 
collaborative pathways between researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, children, families, public and priagencies and society in general. This will create the necessary framework to inform on family policies and practices, with the underlying goal of ensuring children’s rights and families’ well-being.
The project covers 35 European countries and counts with 120 members. It run from 2019 until 2023.
Since November 2023, EurofamNet is operating under a COST Innovators Grant (IG), a highly competitive European project funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST). The QA[4]EuroFam project is aimed at implementing a quality assurance protocol in family support services in 22 European countries, in order to develop evidence-based and culturally sensitive models for professional practice.
Women entrepreneurs – WEgate community council 
MMM is a member of the WEgate community council. The WEgate community council aims to foster networking and learning among peers, focusing on good practices in the field of women entrepreneurship and strives to support female entrepreneurship in Europe. As one of the community council members MMM assists in the development of supporting networking, peer-learning and initiatives for achieving wider outreach and multiplier effect, contributes to public policy processes and advocates and represents the interest of women/mothers entrepreneurs.
DisQo
MMM is a member of the pan-European Thematic Network, DisQo. This network, currently comprising 24 organisations, aims to address the impact of structural racism and discrimination on physical and mental health inequalities. MMM will assist in facilitating dialogue and best practices among other stakeholders and provide support and incentives to the European Commission and national policy makers. The goal of DisQo, led by the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) is to expand the network, to organise a series of webinars on the topic, and to jointly develop statements providing policy recommendations.
Thematic Networks are temporary networks of stakeholder organisations created in the EU Health Policy Platform, which is hosted by the European Commission, DG Sante.
We Learn Everywhere
The Erasmus + project “We Learn Everywhere” is a project which encourages parents to stand up to ensure an up-skilling pathway for adults in challenging situations, improve the accessibility and the take-up of adult education in Europe and empower parents and careers in their social role to support their children.
MMM is leading a consortium as a part of this project. The consortium will create original, needed and innovative know-how and tools to support the mission of Erasmus +. These new ideas include, a tool-kit on children’s mental health and well-being post-pandemic, as set of pedagogical and didactic activities at home and in everyday life, a learn guide for adult education staff EU-wide, a forward-looking digital learning centre and learning opportunities with non-formal methods and peer-learning through training sessions, a matching programme and a documentary.
