06.03.20
UN Geneva, Human Rights Council - MMM drew attention to the impact that a mother’s own mental health and socio-economic status, including her level of education, can have on her children's mental health and their future.
MMM took part in the general debate that followed the presentation of the report of the UN Special Representative on Violence against Children. Focussing on the impact of violence on children’s mental health, the report was presented during the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council. The following statement was delivered by our representative Karen Thorsen.
MMM Oral Statement – Item 3 General Debate
The report [of the Special Representative] rightly states that violence against mothers, including during pregnancy, has serious consequences for her children and their right to the highest attainable standard of mental health.
We draw attention to the impact that a mother’s own mental health and socio-economic status have on her child’s mental health.
Mothers with low socio-economic status have a tendency to bear children who are hyperactive and antisocial. A child whose mother suffers from depression has a higher risk of disruptive behaviour in preschool and problems interacting with their peers. Better-educated mothers, on the other hand, have a tendency to bear more mentally stable children; they are also more able to cope with their children’s mental problems.
The parental circumstances are crucial during childhood, especially for a mother, who remains the main educator and caregiver of her child. In particular, a mother’s education level has a long-lasting effect on her children.
MMM therefore calls on governments
04.03.25
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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
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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,
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
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On 22 September 2025, the voices of mothers will take centre stage in Brussels. For the first time, Make Mothers Matter (MMM) will present its State of Motherhood in Europe report at the European Parliament, ur
01.08.25
UN New York – Following the Human Rights Council's 2025 Annual day on the rights of the child – which focussed on Early Childhood Development – a resolution on that same topic will be tabled at the 80th U
29.07.25
UN New York – UN New York – On 16 July, we hosted a side-event at the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF) titled Unpaid Care at the Core: A Catalyst for Achieving the SDGs. The event aimed to highlight the
14.07.25
UN Geneva - The UN Human Rights Council provides a crucial platform for advocacy and engagement on key human rights issues that affect mothers. This overview highlights MMM’s engagement at the 59th session of
13.07.25
MMM was invited to speak at AGE’s annual conference, which focused on contributing to the EU Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness. The event explored a range of key areas, including the labour market, healt