Make Mothers Matter at the United Nations

“We face multiple challenges in our changing world, but one factor remains constant: the timeless importance of mothers and their invaluable contribution to raising the next generation. By rewarding their efforts and enhancing their living conditions, we can secure a better future for all.”

Bank Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the UN
International Day of Families, 15 May 2009

It is to recall this reality that MMM has been working with the UN since 1949.

Advocacy at the UN New York, Geneva and Vienna: which impact for mothers?

MMM raises awareness among Member States of the challenges and discriminations faced by mothers but also of their potential power...

General Consultative Status: which means for MMM advocacy work at the UN?

MMM enjoys the highest level of Consultative Status, which sets the framework for MMM's actions at the UN Economic and Social Council

Mothers and the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda

Directly concerned by the 2030 Development Agenda and most of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), mothers are also essential partners for their implementation

Thematic focus: unpaid family care work, essential but invisible and unrecognized

Estimated at 10 to 40% of GDP depending on countries, 3/4 of this vital work is carried out by women, specifically mothers. It is the first obstacle to gender equality

Latest News from MMM @ the UN

Invisible Violence: Why Mothers Must Be Recognised in the Fight Against Gender-Based Abuse

25.03.26

UN Geneva – Violence against women is widely acknowledged. Yet the specific forms of violence linked to motherhood remain largely overlooked. Drawing on grassroots evidence from across the globe, Make Mothers

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Parental Leave: A Global Imperative for Gender Equity and Economic Prosperity

25.03.26

UN New York – At the event MMM organised on the margins of the 70th UN Commission on the Status of Women, experts and policymakers converged to argue that parental leave is far more than a workplace benefitâ€

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Hidden in Plain Sight: The Mental Health Crisis Facing Young Mothers in Europe

14.03.26

UN Geneva – An MMM submission to the OHCHR call for input on the impact of mental health challenges on the enjoyment of human rights by young people highlights a critical, often overlooked human rights issue:

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Climate finance must prioritise mothers and care

13.03.26

UN Geneva – Responding to the OHCHR Call for inputs on Climate Financing and Human Rights MMM argues that climate finance must prioritise mothers, unpaid caregivers, and maternal health in order to be truly e

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Runa khan at HRC61: Climate change, a lived violation of basic rights for many

13.03.26

UN Geneva – Runa Khan, Founder and Director of Friendship, our member organisation from Bangladesh, was among the four civil society speakers selected to deliver an intervention during the annual High Level S

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Recognising mothers, advancing human rights – MMM at HRC61

12.03.26

UN Geneva – The UN Human Rights Council is a vital space for bringing key issues into global discussions across a range of topics, and highlighting how recognition and support for mothers can contribute to ad

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