Mother’s Day Around the World

Sunday, May 10, 2009, is International Mother’s Day. While it is a time to honor our own mothers, this day should also remind us of the 500,000 women who die every year from complications due to pregnancy and childbirth, and spur us to take action.  Below are some events which are doing just that around the world:

May 4, 2009: The Art of Saving a Mother
The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNFPA, and the Danish IPPF Member Association organized a public event at the State Museum of Art in Copenhagen, called the “Art of Saving a Mother.” The event was attended by HRH Crown Princess Mary and included a screening of the BBC-produced film Dead Mums Don’t Cry. Medical doctor Grace Kondindo, featured in the film, talked about her efforts to lower the rate of maternal mortality in her home country, Chad. Danish NGOs who work on the issues of maternal health, family planning, and reproductive health had booths set up at the museum to distribute materials and discuss their work. 

May 9, 2009: Mother’s Night Around the World
In an effort to generate widespread awareness on the extent of maternal death and injuries,  the World Population Foundation (WPF) will be organizing an event called “Mother’s Night” on the eve of International Mother’s Day.  Ten different countries will be celebrating the “Mothers’ Night” event launched by WPF headquarters in the Netherlands, including Malta, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, and Pakistan. During the night, speakers will highlight stories of hope about safe motherhood and there will be special performances from local artists. A week before the national event, a “Mothers’ Week” will also be celebrated in the provincial capitals of Pakistan to share information on safe motherhood with civil society organizations. 

May 7 -10, 2009: Let’s Make Mothers Happy All Over the World!
To pay tribute to the 1,500 women who die in pregnancy and childbirth every day, JOICFP has organized an art exhibit at the Sony Mediage building in Tokyo called, “Let’s Make Mothers Happy All Over the World!” The exhibit will feature 1,500 drawings of carnations – one carnation for every mother who dies in pregnancy and childbirth a day. In addition, there will be an exhibit of photos taken by Takeshi Uchibori showing mothers and newborns in the developing countries. The goal of the exhibition is to raise awareness of MDG 5 (Improve Maternal Health) among the media and the general public in Japan.

Share your plans to make this Mother’s Day safer for women all over the world!