Blog by Laura Seebohm, CEO of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA)

“Health equity is determined by the conditions in which people live, grow, play, age. There’s a powerful social gradient associated with perinatal mental health which cannot be attributed to hormonal, biological differences.  This is about health inequalities which reflect social circumstances and gender norms. The impact of structural factors is often neglected.”
– Jane Fisher, Marce Society Conference September 2022

Equity is absolutely the right theme for International Women’s Day 2023. We are facing unprecedented poverty, growing health inequalities and increasing rates of gendered violence and abuse, and it is women who are disproportionately affected.

What does this mean for new and expectant mothers? How are they experiencing this extraordinary time of life within the political, social and economic landscape of 2023?  International Women’s Day gives us a great opportunity to reflect on the realities for women during the perinatal period.

In autumn 2022, the MMHA commissioned a poll of 500 new mothers from across the UK. The findings were illuminating: Continue reading International Women’s Day: embracing equity in perinatal mental health care →