The ties that bind grandmother, mother, and daughter are complex, and they are being redefined in a globalized world. How do generations of women compare their experiences of motherhood?
Mama Then & Now
HOW DO THE EXPERIENCES OF MOTHERS, GRANDMOTHERS, AND DAUGHTERS COMPARE?
While the importance of mothers figure remains the same throughout history and cultures, the experiences of mothers from one generation to the next has shifted drastically as cultures and societies have evolved. Through traditions, teachings, and ties that bind, how have women’s experiences of motherhood changed from the last generation to this one?
Explore the Mama Then & Now gallery to find out.
HEROES WORKING TO ADVANCE THE RIGHTS OF MOTHERS AND CHILDREN
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Indigenous grandmothers advocate for passing on essential traditions from their indigenous cultures.
THOUGHT LEADERS PRESENT PROVOCATIVE, INNOVATIVE IDEAS
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While mothering has changed, all generations of mothers share common goals for the good of women worldwide, says Musimbi Kanyoro fo the Global Fund for Women.
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Stereotypes of grandmothers, writes Paola Gianturco, no longer apply, and instead the elder generation are fighting against the status quo as activists and leaders.
ART, WRITING, AND MULTIMEDIA FROM WOMEN AND MEN AROUND THE WORLD
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Kathy Halper's tongue-in-cheek, Facebook-inspired embroideries explore how technology affects the modern mother/child relationship.
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Musician and Producer Mutamassik dedicates a song to her grandmother, who was forced to give up her dream of becoming a doctor.
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Paula Obè's song/poem celebrates her mother and grandmother as well as our women ancestors who paved the path for women's equality.
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Tracei Willis’ poem offers a vivid glimpse of growing up in the American South and pays tribute to the women in her life.
FICTION AND MEMOIR FROM CELEBRATED WOMEN WRITERS
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Blessing Musariri tells the story of Tinashe, a young Zimbabwean boy. When his mother takes Tinashe away with her in hopes of starting a new life, her young son must confront incomprehensible loss.
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Leila Aboulela tells the story of a pregnant woman who recently moved to a new city for her husband's job; she is often alone, and feels uncertain and unmoored as she awaits the birth of her baby.
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Sierra Leonian writer Aminatta Forna tells the story of a girl with a charismatic mother who was the favorite wife of her father, but also the target of judgments and criticisms from others in their community.
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Samina Ali tells about her medically dangerous labor and delivery, during which she almost died, and what she learned from her infant son during her long period of rehabilitation.
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Maggie Gee describes the growing pains she experienced as her daughter grew older and as she attempted to balance work and motherhood.
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Beatrice Lamwaka's "Butterfly Dreams" is the story of a young woman who returns to her mother after five years of being a child soldier.
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Valerie Mason-John tells the affecting story of a woman in Sierra Leone who lost many of her children and watched her country be torn apart by war and the search for blood diamonds.
FRANK AND INSPIRING INTERVIEWS WITH 11 MOTHERS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE