MMM State of Motherhood in Europe 2024

From evidence to action: it’s time for an EU that works for mothers

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Motherhood remains an under-explored and insufficiently addressed topic in both policy-making and societal discourse, leading to unmet needs and unseen challenges for mothers.

To bridge this gap, Make Mothers Matter, in collaboration with global research leader Kantar, conducted the State of Motherhood in Europe 2024 survey, gathering insights from 9,600 mothers across 11 EU countries, including Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden as well as the UK.

Data plays a crucial role in shaping policy and driving societal change. This survey provides evidence directly from mothers themselves, uncovering critical challenges related to mental health, work-life balance, and societal recognition. Their voices point to an urgent need for meaningful reform.

What we know

• Discover the overall european picture

What we are calling for

1. Enhance maternal mental health support
2. Promote family-friendly workplaces
3. Recognise and redistribute unpaid family care work
4. Advance parental leave policy
5. Ensure quality and affordable childcare

Explore further

Access the full report

Europe Roadmap

🔗 Media Center

News: survey heads to EU parliament

Join us as we present the results of the Survey at the European Parliament.

Hosted by Maria Noichl, our aim is to highlight the issues mothers across Europe have told us matter most:

• Juggling Care and Career
• Navigating Maternal Mental Health

Portrait of a (Working) Mother

With mounting pressure on modern women to ‘have it all’, working mothers often struggle to reconcile career aspirations, caregiving roles and a sense of personal identity.

MMM joins forces with photographer Marina Cavazza and Eglė Kačkutė, scholar, on this interdisciplinary project which weaves together photography and narrative to explore motherhood, career and international mobility.

A selection of these photos and personal testimonials illustrates some of the key findings from our survey, echoing what mothers have told us about their lived realities.

Main partner

We gratefully acknowledge the support of leading market research expert Kantar, whose commitment and generosity made our State of Motherhood in Europe 2024 possible.