In Celebration of Mothers

Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita

As dozens of countries around the world - from Peru to Japan - mark Mother's Day this month, these moments invite us to honour and celebrate the strength and resilience of mothers everywhere.

Across the globe, mothers build the foundation on which their children and their communities rise. Every advancement in society begins with their labour and love.

Their nurturing care is one the most powerful forces for change - a quiet kind of power that holds lives and worlds together in ways not always seen or heard.

The story of development is written in policies and in the sacrifices and leadership of mothers around the world. It is also written in the loyalty and courage of those who support them, including the midwives who accompany women safely along their journey to motherhood.

There is nothing that compares to the experience of welcoming a new life into the world. The first kicks, the first cry of a newborn, the first steps - these moments are landmarks on a life-changing odyssey.

While motherhood is an experience filled with joy and wonder, it can also be full of peril and uncertainty. For many women, pregnancy and childbirth can be a time of great risk. Others face the daunting challenge of raising children through conflict, poverty, and displacement.

A more just and prosperous world depends on recognizing, supporting and appreciating mothers and the often invisible and overlooked work that they do. When we invest in them - in their healthcare, education, safety and opportunity - we invest in humanity itself.

This Mother's Day, I salute all the courageous women whose tenacity and ingenuity sustains households, communities, and entire societies - including the mothers everywhere who are tirelessly shaping a better world for their children and generations to come.