03.03.20
UN Geneva, Human Rights Council - MMM oral statement calls upon governments to support single mothers in their double responsibility of raising children and earning a decent living.
Single mothers’ economic hardships result in high rates of private debt. In France for example, they account for 29% of over-indebted women.
According to Oxfam, globally extreme poverty rates are 4% higher for women than men – a gender gap that rises to 22% during women’s reproductive years.
Not only do women generally earn less than men, but their inequitable share of unpaid domestic and care work constraints their time and ability to perform paid work, thus limiting their income – especially when they have young children.
For single mothers, assuming care responsibilities and earning a living can be challenging. Failing fathers and non-existent or expensive childcare further push many of them into debt.
As rightly stated in the report “for women, access to social protection (or lack thereof) and private debt are closely connected”.
We at MMM call upon governments to prioritize the wellbeing of families, especially single-mothers, and invest in adequate social protection and public infrastructure and services.
These must include full maternity protection, child and if necessary housing allowances, access to healthcare, and most importantly quality and affordable childcare.
The unpaid care work of raising and educating children must be recognized for what it is: essential WORK – that must be considered as an investment and supported.
Mélanie Nédélec, MMM Representative to the UN in Geneva, delivered the statement on 2 March 2020 during the Interactive Dialog with the UN Independent Expert on the effect of Foreign Debt and Human Rights on at the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council.
21.09.21
August 15th saw the collapse of the Afghan government and a return to power by the Taliban. At MMM, like much of the rest of the world, we were shocked
19.07.21
UN New York / HLPF - A look back at our side-event to the UN High Level Political Forum
21.09.21
On International Day of Peace, we are celebrating the launch of Mères et Paix (Mothers and Peace), a book by our MMM colleague Pauline Ambrogi. Pauline holds a doctorate in
02.07.22
UN New York, HLPF - Join us on July 11th for a discussion on how #SharingTheCare at every level - family, community, governments and private sector - is vital for gender equality and the wellbeing of all. Our v
21.06.22
The ongoing conflict and resulting humanitarian crisis in Ukraine has had a devastating impact on the mental and physical health of mothers and their children, on both those who have fled and those who have sta
18.06.22
UN Geneva - On the occasion of a consultation on Racism and the Right to Health, MMM denounces the systemic racism against mothers in childbirth, prevalent in developed countries, with two key indicators: women
30.05.22
International Labour conference, Geneva – To redress the economic injustice suffered by many mothers as a result of their caring responsibilities, MMM has called for a new approach to employment: a human-cent
18.05.22
In these unprecedented times, when Europe is navigating a global pandemic, when political tensions are boiling over threatening to destabilize the global order, it is vital to reflect on the people who hold the
15.05.22
MMM is delighted to publish a report written by Emma Levrau, a student in Global Health and Social Justice (Master of Science) at Kings College London on the unpaid and invisible cognitive and emotional work th