Spare a thought for Mothers’ Day

Spare a thought for Mothers’ Day

Mothers’ Day is celebrated on different days in different parts and by different religions of the world. However, today, the 2nd Sunday of the month of May, is the International Mothers’ Day as envisioned by an American, Anna Jarvis, in 1908. It is a day to honour mothers around the world for their contribution to the family and society.

As we celebrate Mothers’ Day today, there is the need to go beyond honouring our mothers with gifts, cards, flowers or sweet text messages. Governments, individuals and non-governmental organisations the world over must focus on the plight of mothers, especially in Third World countries. Statistics have shown that in poor countries, a woman dies every minute during childbirth. Childbearing, weaning children and training them are the most important duties of mothers.

It is most unfortunate that those who run a country like Nigeria, which is blessed with oil wealth, are not doing enough for our vulnerable women and children. They have or once had mothers who cared for them when they were still children. And so, the plight of mothers and children ought to be among their topmost priorities, more so that there are mothers and grandmothers in government these days. Good mothers have a duty to protect other mothers from suffering and premature death. There is need for governments, NGOs and wealthy individuals to put health care facilities in place and make adequate medical care accessible to mothers to reduce the high maternal mortality rate. Many mothers cannot afford the high cost of medical care in the poor countries.

Mothers who are being celebrated today must also strive to be the best they can. A good mother should not let her children get married before she attains adulthood. Complications of pregnancy like Vesico-Vaginal Fistula (VVF) are common in places where marriage of minors is encouraged. Early motherhood also affects a woman’s education and development. Moreover, mothers need to avail themselves of the various family planning methods to reduce the number of children they have. This is because every pregnancy puts a woman’s life at risk. And with the dwindling resources, growing population and bad governments, it pays to apply wisdom in childbearing. Though mothers love and care for their children, it is painful to watch one’s children crying or dying for lack of food and other basic necessities of life.

To all mothers in government, the perfect gift you can give to other mothers on this Mothers’ Day would be good policies and programmes aimed at preventing any woman from losing her precious life to childbearing. And to all mothers the world over, Happy Mothers’ Day.

By Nike Oluwole.