The Union of Mother Centres,
Bastova
5
811 03
Tel./fax: +421 2
54417906
e-mail: umc@materskecentra.sk
English: http://www.materskecentrum.sk/user/view_page.php?page_tag=materskecentraEn
The mission of Mothers
Centres´
The mission is
fulfilled by implementing various projects through our members MC (nowadays more
than 70 Mother Centres within the
•
Spreading of the
MC concept – at the local level helping to create friendly environment for
mothers and children; at national level by our representatives and joint
activities
•
Keeping in touch
with our members; coordination of joint activities; providing trainings and
counselling service for MCs; helping and supporting beginning MCs
•
Communication
with state, private, NGO, media representatives in
•
Helping in
protection of rights and improving situation of all mothers and children at
non-discriminated level – by advisory, lobbying, publishing, information and
educational activities and events for the public
Subtheme(s):
Safety and Urban
Environment
Governance
Local
Economy
Key Messages:
The
challenge:
anonymity, pollution, social
exclusion , inaccessibleness of offices and services in the cities, lack of safe
playground or adequate facilities for children, lack of understanding or even harassment of
women with children in public – in stores, public transportation, etc.
The
answer:
Leading a national campaign
“Allow me to enter with my child” to change the public perception to accept
special needs of young families.
The activities:
-
national competition “Come in
with your child”- seeking and awarding the family friendly shops, catering
establishments and accommodation which fulfil the given
criteria
-
self building of
playgrounds
-
PR activities to involve media
and public in this themes ( Pram pushing event)
The
challenge:
Reconciling of work and family
life, excluding women from the formal economy on local and national levels as
well as public decision making, living standard of families with small children,
lack of financial resources and support for Mother
Centres.
The
answer:
To
co-create a suitable legislative body and social climate.
The Mother Centres are places
where great potential is being cumulated: people who from their everyday reality
know what they are talking about. UMC has been invited to comment on proposed
laws, and in some of them our comments were included. UMC aspires to be there
where laws that affect family conditions are being discussed and to be active
co-creators of a pro-family culture in
The activities:
-
lobby letters to local
governments to support local MC in need
-
preparing a project Family
Friendly Municipality – we would like to award and motivate the best local
governments focused on care of the families and mother
centers
-
advocacy team to “question-
bombarding” by parliament and departments
-
the campaign “ How we want to
raise our children”
-
the study on the impact of
Mother Centres on children and mothers
The
challenge:
Gender discrimination,
unemployed mother after maternity leave, fear of job loss, lack of interest in a
mother with small children by employer
The
answer:
UMC helps to discover and
develop potential of women-mothers and supports they education to keep on their
knowledge and abilities during staying home with the children.
The activities:
-
project
Equal "We perceive the world differently and that is why we achieve more …“ (the
Mother Centres establishing the principle of equality of opportunity on the
labour market
-
the project of accessing to
the internet to all MCs in the UMC
network
-
the educational project ( including trainings in
a wide area of knowledge- breastfeeding, couching, media-work, social
advisory, fundraising, advocacy...)