Make Mothers Matter

In this Together: Share the Care, Transform Tomorrow

Dear friends,

We hope you can join Make Mothers Matter on July 11th for their virtual event taking place on the margins of HLPF, the annual UN conference that assesses progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Addressing the inequitable distribution of unpaid care work by ‘Sharing the care’ is in our view not only key to advance women’s rights and progress on gender equality, but also key to bring about some of the systemic changes which are so necessary to ensure a sustainable and resilient recovery from the pandemic, and to achieve the 2030 development agenda.

The main purpose of this event is to continue the discussion about how to lay the grounds for a more caring society, a society where care work is valued and more equally and fairly shared – between men and women, and between families and the rest of society, including communities, governments, and the private sector.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_anSI99uuQA-2IYrCgJ7LUQ

Interpretation in Spanish will be provided. #SharingTheCare

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Family, please visit ngofamilyny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Children’s Rights-NY, please visit childrightsny.org.

Changing narratives about unpaid care work and the economy

The pandemic has shown the critical importance of Care. It also exposed the challenges that women, particularly mothers, face in juggling paid work and unpaid Care responsibilities. At the heart of the problem is our current economic system, which considers unpaid care work – and nature – as endless and free commodities.
The Covid-19 crisis provides a unique opportunity to repurpose our economy, so that it serves the wellbeing of people and our planet. Bringing about such systemic change begins by changing narratives and perspectives on both unpaid care work and the economy.
Programme and list of speakers
Introductions:
  • Anne-Claire de Liedekerke, President, Make Mothers Matter
  • Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
Moderator: Susan Himmelweit, Feminist economist, Emeritus professor of economics for the Open University in the UK, member of the UK Women’s Budget Group Commission for a Gender Equal Economy
Presentations:
  • Gary Barker, Founder and CEO, Promundo Global
  • Sonia Malaspina, Human Resources Director, Danone SN Italy
  • Anam Parvez, Research Lead in Evidence and Strategic Learning, Oxfam Great Britain
  • Shahra Razavi, Director, ILO Social Protection Department
Q&A

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the Vienna NGO Committee on the Family, please visit viennafamilycommittee.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Family-NY, please visit ngofamilyny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

#RaiseAPen Virtual High Level Panel Discussion

This high-level event is part of the #RaiseAPen campaign that we just launched in solidarity with mothers in Afghanistan calling for the continued right to education for their daughters. It coincides with the UN-designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It is our belief that denying education to girls and women is a form of violence.
The campaign supports education not only because it is a fundamental human right, but also because it is a key condition for sustainable development and peace. The diverse panel features influential personalities committed to the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. This is a unique opportunity to hear them discuss the way forward beyond ‘raising a pen’, to both safeguard and advance these rights. We thank them one and all:
  • H.E Rangina Hamidi: Minister of Education I.R of Afghanistan
  • Stefania Giannini: UNESCO Assistant Director General of Education
  • Ambassador Melanne Verveer: Executive Director Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security
  • Ambassador Mohammad Wali Naeemi: Deputy Permanent Representative of I.R of Afghanistan to the UN
  • Staffan de Mistura: Former UN Special Envoy to Afghanistan
  • Mary Kaldor, Professor of Global Governance and CEO of the Conflict Research Program, IDEAS, London School of Economics and Political Science (Moderator)
  • Anne-Claire de Liedekerke: President MMM (Opening remarks)
  • Rahela Sidiqi: Founder & Director Farkhunda Trust for Afghan Women’s Education, MMM Associate Member and campaign partner (Opening remarks)
Join the conversation, register now and send in your questions (by November 20th at the latest) here.
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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org.