#Makemotherhooddiverse was created to battle the pressures surrounding motherhood, to encourage a nuanced story, filled with all types of voices, breathing life into motherhood from so many perspectives. Three women have come up with an interesting new way to challenge the single story of motherhood in all its forms. Amaliah had a conversation with Co-founders Candice Braithwaite,  Sarah Rose Gregory, and Nicol Washington about it.

1. Why & when did you start?

Last October we set out to challenge the single story of motherhood because when we looked at representations of mothers in our society we were left with too many blank spaces and questions. “Every child is different” goes the saying, but surely the same can be said for mothers too? Despite the enormous spectrum of realities, however, too often we are fed a singular story about motherhood. It’s one that dominates the adverts, the online influencers and features large in what we see projected into our homes via tv and film, but it’s a representation that so many mothers do not identify with. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi2Ija7hO7Z/?taken-by=makemotherhooddiverse

2. How would you describe it?

Make Motherhood Diverse is not an act of exclusion. We don’t want to ignore the mothers in the adverts; the middle-class white mothers with glossy hair and immaculate clothes. What we want is to do is represent this version of motherhood truthfully: as part of the picture, not its whole. Make Motherhood Diverse is an act of inclusion.

https://twitter.com/smallishmag/status/932881528211804160

Because when we look at representations of motherhood in our society awareness demands we ask, where are the black mums, the brown mums, the Muslim and differently-abled mums? Where are those caring for children with additional needs? Where are those with tattoos and piercings, pink hair or those who just don’t care about their appearance? Where are the gay mums, the fat mums, the working class mums? Where are the mums who might tick several or all of these boxes? You’re all out there, but ask yourself how many times do we see your faces or hear your stories? Make Motherhood Diverse wants to change this. Yes, it’s only a hashtag, just another social media campaign, but by reading the stories of mothers who do not look like us, who do not sound like us, or dress like us, whose children don’t look or behave like ours, perhaps we can learn.

Perhaps we can start to celebrate the things that make us different, and maybe, through the prism of motherhood, we can start to realise just how much we have in common.”

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Related

On pregnancy and starting up Amaliah… Listen to ‘Life before Amaliah’ over on our podcast, ‘Amaliah Voices’

Meet the Hippie Muslim Mums Who Are Redefining What Parenting Means 

I Am Not Determined by My Ability to Get Pregnant 

3. What were your aims?

Make Motherhood Diverse aims to represent every experience equally, democratically, and inclusively, using the pictures mothers choose to take, and the words they choose to use. We don’t speak for anyone, you speak for yourselves. We simply provide visibility, a level and reaching platform, for all the “types” of mother you can possibly think of to stand tall, proud and heard.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiMu76EBu2t/?taken-by=makemotherhooddiverse

4. What do you hope to achieve?

We’re so proud of the community that has evolved thus far, and want to continue to celebrate the things that make us different, through the prism of motherhood, we connect on just how much we have in common.

We want to continue to hold this space for mums to share, grow and learn from each other. Whilst demonstrating that there is an audience for wider representation. In fact, the audience is way ahead of brands and advertisers in their acceptance of difference – it’s the brands that need to catch up. The dream, of course, is to see inclusion becoming the norm everywhere we look and if we can help in some small way then we’ll have fulfilled our purpose.

She's been nothing but honest from day one and I am thankful for her. Of course is the founder of #makemotherhooddiverse, @CandiceAboderin! pic.twitter.com/WbmlMn9AHW

— Nathaniel A. Cole (@nathanielacole) October 7, 2017

https://twitter.com/CandiceAboderin/status/971852197871915009

While there may be certain universal truths to motherhood, the experience of #motherhood is not a singular one. Let us look for the strength, wisdom, and love in the diverse stories of mothers this #MothersDay. #MakeMotherhoodDiverse #HappyMothersDay pic.twitter.com/JnQX1Mpn24

— Interviewing India (@interviewingind) May 13, 2018

https://twitter.com/HackneyDoula/status/989070365107335168

We ❤️ everything that the #makemotherhooddiverse campaign stands for & inspiring us to make motherhood on social media more representative https://t.co/VA19FaWgRT

— Mamazou (@mamazoumagazine) October 30, 2017

Just found the #makemotherhooddiverse campaign founded by @CandiceAboderin @TM_M_I @SRoseGregory. This has been a long time coming 👏🏾

— Black & British (@iamblackbritish) October 26, 2017

#MakeMotherhoodDiverse aims to draw attention to the many faces of motherhood https://t.co/Z1iWLDfd9f

— Metro (@MetroUK) October 17, 2017

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