Mothers and Health: Working with Mothers

Maternal health is an indicator of global health. A healthy mother can take on her educational responsibilities and fully participate in economic and social life. She is also an indisputable partner in all aspects of health.

“The role of women as primary custodians of family health should be recognized and supported”
Programme of Action, International Conference on Population and Development Cairo (1994)

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Maternal health: indicator of global health

Too many mothers still die today in pregnancy. And even more remain handicapped after childbirth. The fundamental rights of mothers must be better respected.

Early Childhood Development: the essential role of mothers - and fathers

Family environment and quality of care during pregnancy and the early years have a significant impact on the physical, cognitive and emotional development of the child - and on its future.

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

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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

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Nutrition, Lifestyle... The role of the mother in addressing these public health challenges

Mothers are at the heart of the fight against obesity - From conception, and throughout childhood, they set the lifestyle of the family.

Conference Mothers and Health - Brussels, March 2016

Examples of specific actions to support mothers striving for the good health of their children, for their own health and for that of other mothers.

Recent news on Mothers and Health

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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EU Parliament Anti-Poverty Resolution
A Major Step Forward for Mothers, Families and Children

23.03.26

The European Parliament has adopted its Resolution on a new EU Anti-Poverty Strategy for 2025–2026, following joint work by the EMPL and FEMM Committees. This marks a significant political milestone in the fi

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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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