Happy Mothers Day!

Ah mothers day. A day where many people celebrate who has cared or looked after them. Or it's a day you think is a capitalist money making day. Or you don't care. As Stuff share: "The concept of celebrating motherhood dates to the ancient Greeks, who paid tribute to Rhea (the mother of the gods) and motherhood in springtime, which was considered the most fertile time of the year. We owe the modern celebratory day to an American woman called Anna Jarvis, who campaigned to make it official in remembrance of her mother. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared Mother's Day a national holiday. Ironically, Jarvis later tried to stop Mother's Day after it became commercialised and more than just a day of sentiment."

This mothers day Statistics New Zealand have some excellent facts to share. In New Zealand the average baby weight over the pass decade was 3.5 kg. Considering a normal baby weight is 2.7-4 kg, this is excellent. In 2008, 87 percent of all women also thought their health was generally good, very good, or excellent.

Unfortunately many mothers still feel overworked. According to a independent AMP research report, while fathers are doing more house work than they use to mothers still feel they aren't doing their fair share. As for solo mothers who happen to be beneficiaries, they're facing discrimination from their own government. What's also startling is that they face it from someone who's been a beneficiary herself. Paula Bennett also plans to force mothers into work that may not be appropriate for them. Many mothers want to work and get good pay so they can provide for their families. Cutting the benefit to mothers who wont comply puts them and their childs lives in jeopardy.

There is still discrimination against gay couples who can't adopt. Considering there are already gay couples in New Zealand raising children and many who'd make great parents it's a shame they still face discrimination. Discrimination from groups like familyfirst who believe in only putting married heterosexual parent families first. We also have real problems with child poverty and child abuse in this country which are both interconnected.

The good thing is that these problems are solvable. As a society New Zealand does not have to be this way. It can support our parents, mothers, fathers, maori, european, gay, straight, disabled and everything in between. The children of Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world do not have to suffer the problems of our past.

I hope you'll have a good Mothers day, everyday.

"Mother's love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved." - Erich Fromm