The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee advances human rights through grassroots collaborations.
Mothers for Justice, Justice for Mothers
By UUSC Staff on May 9, 2025
What does it mean to mother? Under patriarchy, mothering is seen as feminine work and, as a result, it is largely undervalued. Patriarchal systems assert that caretaking, domestic work, and parenting are innate abilities in women, not requiring skill or effort.
In addition to belittling the labor of mothers, patriarchal systems demand and depend upon women and gender-expansive people sacrificing their own wellbeing to prioritize the care of others. Those who mother are expected and encouraged to neglect their own needs, ideas, and ambitions and live in service to male authorities.
Moms on the frontlines of the justice movement, however, are building a new way. Check out three UUSC partners who are defending, protecting, and centering the expertise of mothers:
- Chiricli, Ukraine
This Roma foundation supports women displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and protects and uplifts the Roma community. Mothers are one of Chiricli’s largest constituent groups, as the organization works to serve displaced Roma with children as well as people with disabilities and elders. The organization provides job training opportunities for women and mothers, education for children, and humanitarian assistance. In 2024, Chiricli served over 50,000 women and children.
- The Kachin Women’s Association (KWAT), Thailand
KWAT serves the Kachin people in Thailand, empowers women, and provides humanitarian support to Kachin communities in Burma. The organization’s programming includes an anti-trafficking initiative, documentation of human rights violations, political empowerment, and emergency humanitarian response. KWAT’s health program operates essential clinics for mothers and children in both stationary and mobile locations. The organization trains birth attendants to work in local communities with limited healthcare providers and provides family planning services.
- School of the Americas Watch Education Fund: The Border Patrol Victims Network, US-Mexico Border
The Border Patrol Victims Network (BPVN) seeks justice for those impacted by Border Control brutality. The organization is comprised of impacted families and volunteers. The Border Patrol Victims Network is centering the leadership of BPVN mothers in their ongoing work for migration justice. Mothers in BPVN and community leadership apply their expertise to effectively and efficiently aid impacted families while advocating for state accountability and structural change.
Mothers and mothering are essential in the movement for justice. The expertise required to parent, caretake, and care for one’s home (whether it’s an apartment, a neighborhood, or a planet) are precisely the skills needed in grassroots work. Those who mother are adept leaders, community organizers, and agents for change.
This Mother’s Day, support the work of these UUSC partners and others as they defend, protect, and center the expertise of those who mother. Sustain their work with a donation to UUSC. Together we build a future where mothering is respected, protected, and revered.
