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The MMM was founded
At UNESCO in 1947
Geneviève d'Arcy
First president of the MMM
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In the 1930s in France
the Feminine Civic and Social Union (UFCS) was active in raising
awareness among the general public about the problems caused by the
fact that many mothers were becoming active in the workplace.
The UFCS demanded that mothers be given a truly free choice between
going out to work or staying at home. It is thanks to those pioneers
that family allowances were granted.
During the Second World War women had met the challenge of
fulfilling the many responsibilities needed by countries whose men
were away at war. Their experience led women to realise that mothers
are responsible for transmitting to their children the values of
responsibility, respect and peace – they wished to contribute
actively to a peaceful future and to the economic and social
developments of the time.
In this spirit the UFCS organised in 1947 an international
congress at UNESCO in Paris on the theme: “Mothers Work
for Human Progress”.
The participants asserted their determination to recreate
conditions for a lasting peace and to build for their children a
better world.
At the close of the congress it was unanimously decided
to found the MMM (Mouvement Mondial des Mères/ World Movement of
Mothers) and to adopt the text of the
Mothers’ Charter
as its underlying principles.
1949 : The World Movement of Mothers was granted Special
Consultative Status to ECOSOC at the UN - which gave mothers a
voice at the heart of international policy-making. It granted
MMM the right of representation and consultation within its agencies
(UNICEF, UNESCO, WHO, ILO and FAO).
It could thus influence the negociations of these organisations
particularly in the drafting of certain documents such as
international conventions.
The MMM also regularly organizes international congresses to
share the concerns of mothers on various issues.
1994 : The MMM was awarded the Prize of the International Year of
the Family.
1999 : UNESCO: Paris
France - the congress celebrating the 50th anniversary of
the MMM : “The Economic and Social Dynamics of a Mother’s Work”
2003 :
Beirut Lebanon – The MMM organized an international conference
on the “Role of Mothers in Building Peace and Security”
2004 : the MMM
organised two NATO-funded scientific Research Workshops in the
Slovak Republic and in Moldova.
2004:
The MMM was granted Special
Consultative Status at the UN
2007:
March 29-30th UNESCO Paris – 60th Anniversary
Congress “Mothers Work for Peace”
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