Who we are

Mothers CAN came into being at the beginning of 2020, set up by a small group of mothers who had recently been struck by the extent and urgency of the climate crisis and the knowledge that we could play a part in solving climate change. Our work began as a series of educational events covering different aspects of the climate crisis, but driven by a desire to involve more mothers in climate action, it quickly evolved into something more ambitious and far-reaching.

 

What we are

Mothers CAN brings local groups of mothers together, facilitates discussion of the climate crisis, and supports the groups to identify where they can best direct their energy to cause positive change in their communities. We seek to engage as many mothers as possible, especially those who have never previously been involved in climate action. Together we build power and get the voices of mothers heard by decision-makers.

 

We take inspiration from Mothers Out Front, a mothers’ climate movement in the US founded in 2013 which currently has 35,000 members. 

 

Our actions

Mothers CAN supports any climate-positive action, but our primary focus is on encouraging a move away from fossil fuels which cause the majority of global warming, and towards a cleaner, brighter, safer future. In order to pass on a healthy world that allows our children to thrive we need:

 

1. Clean air - electric vehicles and active travel.

2. Clean energy - from renewable sources like wind and solar.

3. Clean cash - an end to state subsidies for the fossil fuel industry and divestment from fossil fuels. 

 

The climate crisis can be overwhelming. We believe that the antidote to despair is action, and action which causes positive change that you can see with your own eyes is the kind of action that will inspire others to act too.

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WHY MOTHERS?

We’re mother-led because our role as mothers provides a powerful connection between us. Although our experiences of motherhood are all very different, it’s the one thing we all have in common. A strong and urgent desire to protect our children's - and all children's - futures is why we’re so motivated to take action on the climate crisis.

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Whilst society values the role of mothers, we’re often pigeon-holed into being seen only as care-givers. Mothers, along with women more broadly, are regularly ignored in decision-making. We realised that mothers’ voices needed to be heard, and that if we started organising we could start building power and making space for ourselves in places where mothers weren’t usually expected to be.

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All mums are welcome at Mothers CAN.  Even if you’re not a mother but you want to support Mothers CAN, that’s great too! We welcome anybody who wants to support mothers taking action on the climate crisis.