The joy of motherhood has long since been praised over and over again. The greatest joy of motherhood is seen as the sheer gift of bringing a life into this world and helping to shape them from the moment of birth and then to watch them grow into a happy, productive and successful member of society. However, along with the many great joys of motherhood, often comes unimaginable pain and suffering.
The role of a mother is one of the most demanding roles a woman may ever have to undergo. From the moment her child is conceived a mother takes on the burden of life as now she is entailed with a job to ensure that their child is financially provided for, remains happy, safe and healthy for the rest of their life. The burden of motherhood is for many mothers in developing countries is more than any mother should have to bare.
For many mothers the greatest sorrow is that of losing a child before they have a chance to grow and prosper into adulthood. Many mothers are forced to watch helplessly as their children go hungry. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition is the largest contributor to global child mortality. It is the cause of one-third of child deaths, which amounts to some 15 million children dying of hunger each year. According to UNICEF, 21,000 children die every day.
Mothers not only struggle to see their child is nourished, but also fight to give their children basic healthcare. One in five children does not have access to vaccines that prevent deadly diseases, like measles, pneumonia or diarrhea. Nonetheless some 2.5 million children, under the age of 5, die every year as the result of preventable infectious diseases…Some 8 million children will die this year before they are 5 years old, that’s almost 21,000 children each day. More than 80 percent of these deaths could have easily been prevented.
Other mothers needlessly give the ultimate sacrifice with their own lives, for every 90 seconds around the world a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth. That’s 1,000 girls and women a day, more than half a million women every year. Additionally, for every woman who dies, 20 or more experience serious complications, and 1 million babies are stillborn each year because their mothers could not access the proper medical care. And yet experts say more than 80 percent of these deaths could have easily been prevented.
While significant progress has been made for the improvement of the lives of mothers, millions of women and young girls continue to be denied the right to equal and fair access to education and healthcare. As mothers continue to face some of the biggest inequalities across the globe, especially in obtaining access to social services, and the right to own land and other sustainable assets; not only are mothers unable to reach their full potential, their children often pay the ultimate sacrifice.
The role of the mother is vital to ensuring a peaceful and prosperous global community. Celebrate mothers today and everyday…empower them; they will lead us towards a better tomorrow! Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms fighting for a better world for everyone!
