500 Million Voices need to be heard!

To promote gender equality & support single mothers

Introduction

Single mothers are a unique and diverse group of women who often face multiple,intersecting forms of discrimination and challenges. During the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), it is essential to specifically address the issues and needs of single mothers. This is especially important because this target group is explicitly mentioned three times as a particularly vulnerable group in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Due in part to this lack of (international) attention,single mothers remain a particularly vulnerable group of women worldwide. CSW-Resolution 69, which aims to assess the progress of Beijing +30, should therefore recognize how gender norms, roles, and stereotypes disproportionately affect this group,especially when intersecting with factors such as economic dependency, gender-based violence, discriminatory legislation, refugee or migrant status, lower levels of education,and caregiving responsibilities. 

Demands for the CSW69 resolution

• Recognise the Challenges of Single Mothers 
• Recognise the unique way single mothers face challenges, including inadequate legislation, economic insecurity, lack of access to childcare and labour/housingmarket discrimination. 
• Develop policies specifically designed to improving the living conditions and opportunities of single mothers. 

Economic Empowerment of Single Mothers 

• Ensure equal access to decent paid work, including flexible working hours and opportunities for working from home for single mothers. 
• Provide economic support through targeted social security, subsidies, and tax benefits for single mothers. 
• Encourage entrepreneurship among single mothers by providing access and assistance to credit, capital and training programmes, even without the right qualifications. 
• Increasing participation of single mothers in management positions, as they are skilled multitaskers and responsible decision-makers.

Accessible Childcare and Education 

• Implement and subsidise affordable, flexible, accessible and quality childcare for single mothers. 
• Invest in education programmes for both single mothers and their children,including vocational and continuing education programmes. 

Combatting Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

• Recognise single mothers as a group with increased vulnerability to economic
  violence and other forms of gender-based violence.
• Provide safe and accessible mechanisms to report and address cases of gender-
  based violence experienced by single mothers.
• Provide safe housing and legal support for single mothers who have experienced
  gender-based violence.

Access to Healthcare and Social Services

• Guarantee free or affordable health care, including mental health care and coaching
  that is tailored to the needs of single mothers and their children.
  Improve access to social services such as food banks, housing and legal advice for
  single mothers.
• Provide comprehensive support tailored to the needs of refugee and migrant
  mothers, including access to safe housing, language training and employment
  services.
• Ensure that single mothers are included in national health and education systems,
  regardless of their legal status.
• Protect refugee and migrant mothers from exploitation, discrimination and violence
  through targeted policies and programs.
• Combat harmful stereotypes that stigmatize single mothers and restrict their
  opportunities.
• Promote a culture of equality and respect through awareness campaigns,
  intersectional gender-mainstreaming and educational programs.

Collect specific gender- and family-disaggregated data about the situation of
single mothers

 

• Reassess the history of single mothers, funding research in this field, and
  integrating it into educational curricula
• Use this data to develop policies and programs that meet the needs of single
  mothers.

1. Targeted support for single mothers 
2. Address gender norms and stereotypes
3. Collection of gender-disaggregated data
4. Laws that protect single mothers and their children from poverty and isolation 

 

Conclusion

Single mothers play a crucial role in their families and communities, but often face
systemic inequalities. The CSW69 resolution should put their needs and challenges
at the centre by adopting an intersectional gender-transformative approach. We call
on member states to take up these demands in their input for CSW69 and take action
to ensure a just and equal future for single mothers worldwide.