Skip the Flowers: This Mother’s Day, Help Save Women Who Suffer During Childbirth

PUBLISHED 5/12/2023 by

Every year, nearly 300,000 women die because of pregnancy and childbirth—and 95 percent of those deaths are preventable. The biggest health disparity between rich and poor is reflected in how likely a woman is to die while bringing new life into this world.

For every woman who dies, another 20 to 30 suffer from preventable and treatable injuries like obstetric fistula—a childbirth injury that causes urinary and/or fecal incontinence and destroys a woman’s life. Obstetric fistula is just a symptom of a larger problem: the global under-investment in maternal healthcare.

Black Mamas Reclaim Their Space in Reproductive Justice

PUBLISHED 5/12/2023 by

Forward Together’s 13th annual Mamas Day campaign “Black Mamas Reclaiming their Space in the Reproductive Justice Movement,” celebrates Black mamahood and the Black mamas who continue to push the work forward—since Black mamas are the founders of the reproductive justice framework and are the foundation of our movement.

Visit MamasDay.org to send a card to the mamas in your life.

This Mother’s Day, Congress Should Put the Check in the Mail

PUBLISHED 5/12/2023 by

My mom dreamed of getting an education, and becoming the teacher she’d always aspired to be; of being able to take a day off, instead of working seven days straight. But after nearly 25 years of working multiple minimum wage jobs to make ends meet, my mom passed away unexpectedly in 2020.

A lack of policies to help mothers in general means that stories like my mom’s are tragically common. But, we can make better choices as a country—we can allow folks to live healthier, more dignified lives by providing a guaranteed income and expanding the child tax credit.

Celebrate Mother’s Day by Listening to Guaranteed Income Recipients

PUBLISHED 5/12/2023 by

When it comes to policy decisions that affect low-income families, Congress should listen to those most affected: low-income Black moms, who disproportionately bear the brunt of unemployment, wage gaps and unpaid childcare and domestic labor.

In the Front and Center series, Ms. and Springboard to Opportunities’ Magnolia Mother’s Trust (MMT) team up to give low-income Black moms in Jackson, Miss., an opportunity to share their story. Each MMT mom receives a guaranteed income payment of $1,000 per month for a year, with no strings attached. Now in its fourth cohort, MMT has changed hundreds of lives and proved that unrestricted monthly payments empower women to do what’s best for their families.

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation: U.S. Women Call on Mexican Feminists for Abortion Care; Congress Isn’t Built for Moms, Says New Report

PUBLISHED 5/12/2023 by

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation. 

This week: Kelly Brough will face Mike Johnston in the Denver mayor’s runoff election on June 6; just 1 percent of Congress members are mothers with young kids; Mexican feminist groups see an increased demand for abortion help; and more.

Our Crisis in Maternal Healthcare Is Uniquely American

PUBLISHED 5/11/2023 by

Maternal healthcare in the U.S. is largely not accessible, equitable, affordable or person-centered. When maternal health suffers, so does newborn health and future child health.

For this Mother’s Day, policymakers, administrators, medical practitioners and healthcare providers need to demonstrate to mothers in the U.S. that they are a priority and advocate for legislation that promotes comprehensive maternal healthcare.

Ukraine’s Frontline Mothers

PUBLISHED 5/11/2023 by

More and more women have joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) since the country’s large-scale mobilization rapidly rolled out this past year, switching up the traditional wartime narrative that portrays women, and mothers with children especially, as victims of war instead of as agents of change.

(This article originally appears in the Spring 2023 issue of Ms. Join the Ms. community today and you’ll get the issue delivered straight to your mailbox!)

Without the Public Infrastructure Needed to Support Families, Moms Will Continue to Feel Like Failures

PUBLISHED 5/11/2023 by

Let’s call it what it is: Moms are in a mental health crisis. Even before COVID, one study found that more than 90 percent of moms reported feeling lonely after having kids, over one-third said they cried regularly, and more than half suffered from anxiety.

After the pandemic hit, fully half of American moms with young kids reported feeling “serious loneliness”; the same number noted a marked mental health decline since the pandemic’s onset.

Blowing the Whistle on the ‘Mommy Track’ (July/August 1989)

PUBLISHED 5/10/2023 by and

From the July/August 1989 issue of Ms. magazine:

“Sooner or later, corporations will have to yield to the pressure for paid parental leave, flextime and childcare, if only because they’ve become dependent on female talent. The danger is that employers—no doubt quoting Felice Schwartz for legitimation—will insist that the price for such options be reduced pay and withheld promotions, i.e. consignment to the mommy track. Such a policy would place a penalty on parenthood, and the ultimate victims—especially if the policy trickles down to the already low-paid female majority—will of course be children.”

Over-the-Counter Birth Control Is Here

PUBLISHED 5/10/2023 by and

The FDA approved the birth control pill Opill to be available over-the-counter—the first nonprescription birth control pill in the U.S. It is expected to be available in stores and online beginning early next year.

“Today’s decision is a huge deal for women in America—and finally, some good news in the fight to allow women to make their own decisions about their health care,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.). “The fight to expand access to contraception is even more important today in a world without Roe, and over the counter birth control is going to be a real game-changer.”