The Sunday Mail
Grace Ruvimbo Chirenje
MOTHER’S Day was first celebrated in the United States in 1908, and was initially intended to honour the sacrifices and hard work of mothers.
However, over time, the day was increasingly commercialised.
Many feminists began to criticise the way it reinforced traditional gender roles.
Globally, the day is celebrated on different dates in May, but the essence is to acknowledge mothers.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the women’s liberation movement brought renewed attention to Mother’s Day.
Some feminists argued that the day was a way of reinforcing the idea that women’s primary role is that of caregiving and nurturing, rather than being full members of society, with their own interests and aspirations.
Instead of celebrating Mother’s Day in the traditional way, some feminists began to organise protests and demonstrations to draw attention to issues affecting women and mothers.
For example, in 1968, a group of women organised a Mother’s Day protest at the New York Stock Exchange to draw attention to the fact that many women were excluded from high-paying jobs in finance.
Over time, Mother’s Day became an important opportunity for feminists to highlight issues such as reproductive health rights, equal pay and affordable childcare.
Some feminists also argued that Mother’s Day should be expanded to recognise the diversity of family structures and caregiving roles, rather than simply reinforcing the idea that mothers are primarily responsible for raising children.
In recent years, some feminists have also criticised the way Mother’s Day can be exclusionary for women who are unable to have children or who have chosen not to become mothers.
They argue that the day should be more inclusive and recognise the many different ways women contribute to society.
In Zimbabwe today, much has been done to advance women’s position in society.
Section 17 of the Constitution calls for gender equality and equity, and this is very important in ensuring that, as we celebrate mothers on this amazing day, we also think about how best to support them to be more than our mothers.
Overall, the feminist politicisation of Mother’s Day has been an important way for women to draw attention to issues affecting mothers and caregivers.
By challenging traditional gender roles and advocating greater recognition of women’s contributions to society, feminists have helped make Mother’s Day more meaningful and inclusive.
As we hold hands to celebrate women as mothers today, I would like to invite you to look at the other roles mothers play in society.
We are not calling for the dilution of their role as mothers, but this is a clarion call to make a difference for mothers, as we advocate their brilliance outside just being mothers.
They can also be amazing spiritual leaders like Mbuya Nehanda.
They can also be just as amazing as your mother and mine in their special corner, doing their very best to make life count.
It is always a delight for each one of us to take some time to reflect on what being mothered means and think of women as more than mothers.
I strongly recommend that we move with the rest of the world to make it count for women.
Oxfam Zimbabwe has done many researches on unpaid care and domestic work.
One of their critical findings was that unpaid care and domestic work creates a gap for women as their time, energy and resources are divided thinly between this work and what they deem critical for their lives.
Yet, we also know that technology is so advanced that we can explore how it can be utilised to lessen the struggle with unpaid care and domestic work for women and mothers in particular.
So, as we celebrate mothers today and each day, may we explore how we can harness artificial intelligence to advance their roles in our lives and how they make our very lives better.
It is possible to ensure they do their best to balance life as they mother the nation and also pursue whatever dreams they are passionate about.
We can never claim to have figured it out. We must keep exploring ways of celebrating our mothers.
Grace Ruvimbo Chirenje writes in her personal capacity. Follow her on Twitter: @graceruvimbo; Facebook: Grace Ruvimbo Chirenje; Instagram: @graceruvimbo
