Mothers are not only victims of Climate Change: they also have a specific game-changing purpose

02.07.19

UN Geneva, Human Rights Council - MMM calls for the recognition and support of the skills and contributions of women in their multiple roles, including their role in education on sustainable development within families.

“During extreme weather events, women are more likely to die than men, due to differences in socio-economic status, and access to information. Women who are pregnant and breastfeeding are subject to food insecurity resulting from climate change. Saltier drinking water, because of rising sea-levels, may cause premature births, and maternal and newborn deaths. ”
Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, opening the Panel discussion on women’s rights and climate change

The OHCHR analytical study on gender-responsive climate action which was presented to the council highlights among others:

  • The disastrous consequences of climate change on pregnancy and birth, and more generally on maternal and child health
  • And its negative impact on women’s unpaid care workload.

However, we at Make Mothers Matter strongly believe that women must not only be considered as victims but also as a powerful force for change in achieving climate mitigation and resilience.

From the Mother’s day climate demonstrations organized in several countries, to the waste recycling in India… the planting of vegetables resistant to cyclones and drought in Yasawa Islands, to the adoption of solar cooking… women around the world are taking action – often driven by the desire to protect their children’s health and future.

But women in their role as mothers also have a specific game-changing purpose. Through the values and sustainable practices they pass on to their children in everyday life, they are key levers for the changes in behavior, which, as highlighted by the IPCC, are critical in the fight against climate change.

MMM, therefore, calls for the recognition and support of the skills and contributions of women in their multiple roles, including their role in education on sustainable development within families.

MMM delivered this message during the General Debate on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which followed the presentation of the OHCHR analytical study on gender-responsive climate action at the 41st Session of the Human Rights Council. Mélanie Nédélec, our Representative at the UN, delivered the Statement on behalf of MMM.

Read MMM Oral Statement on mothers and climate change

Photo: UNAMID – Olivier Chassot

Most read articles

The New EU Gender Equality Roadmap : A Call for Inclusion of Mothers

04.03.25

The European Commission’s initiative on a new Gender Equality Roadmap post-2025, marks a significant step forward in addressing gender disparities across the European Union. Make Mothers Matter (MMM

Lire plus

Sharing is caring:
equal parenting, a path to social cohesion?

27.01.25

UN New York, UN Commission on Social Development – Register now to our virtual side-event for a discussion on how a more equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work

Lire plus

Be Family launch event: placing work-life balance at the heart of workplace policies

05.12.24

Make Mothers Matter co-presented the official launch of Be Family in Paris, a movement aimed at bridging the gap between personal and professional life for working parents. This first event,

Lire plus
See all the articlesof the category

Latest News from MMM and its Network

Amplifying Mothers’ Voices at the UN Human Rights Council

15.10.25

UN Geneva, Human Rights Council – The MMM Geneva team seized opportunities to shed light on the multiple human rights violations mothers face, and to call for care-centred policies, and the recognition and em

Read more

A roadmap to eradicating poverty beyond growth must centre Care

15.10.25

UN Geneva – MMM's contribution to the initiative led by Olivier de Schutter, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Poverty, aimed at establishing a Roadmap for eradicating poverty beyond growth, calls for

Read more

Mothers’ Voices at the Heart of Europe

29.09.25

A Look Back at Our State of Motherhood Survey Presentation at the EU Parliament

Read more

Make Mothers Matter on RTBF’s Tendances Première: The State of Motherhood in Europe

16.09.25

Make Mothers Matter was recently featured on Belgian public broadcaster RTBF’s Tendances Première radio show to present the findings from our latest report, The State of Motherhood in Europe 2024. The discus

Read more

The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan
Strengthening Support for Mothers

12.09.25

Our 2024 State of Motherhood in Europe survey of 9,600 mothers across 11 EU Member States and the UK paints a clear picture: motherhood is still not properly recognised or supported by society. Instead, it freq

Read more

MMM supports strengthening the right to education

08.09.25

UN Geneva – MMM actively took part in the first session of the UN Human Rights Council’s working group, which is exploring the possibility of drafting an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of

Read more