When maternity reveals inequalities

On the occasion of March 8th, we wanted to give the floor to the Fondation des Femmes, which has been supporting associations committed to women's rights across France for years.

With them, we talked about motherhood: that moment in life often portrayed as joyful, but which still reveals deep inequalities today. The precariousness of single mothers, economic violence, difficulties after separation… realities that remain far too invisible.

In this sincere and enlightening interview, the Fondation des Femmes reminds us of one essential truth: becoming a mother should never go hand in hand with vulnerability.

Since 2016, you have been providing financial and legal support to hundreds of associations defending women's rights. What is the most urgent fight today?

The most urgent fight is to give grassroots associations the resources to act in line with the scale of needs. Across France, these are the organisations that welcome, shelter, listen to and defend women who are victims of violence or living in extreme poverty.

But today, the lack of resources remains immense. In France, policies for women's rights represent one of the smallest budgets of the State, even though one in nine women will be a victim of domestic violence during her lifetime. It is a terrible paradox: we have talked far more about violence since the #MeToo movement, complaints have soared, but investment has not kept pace.

Behind these figures lie very concrete realities: associations closing their drop-in services due to lack of funding, women with nowhere left to turn, and exhausted frontline teams.

In response, the Fondation des Femmes acts through three levers: financial support for high-impact projects, legal support through a network of volunteer lawyers, and material support, including emergency overnight stays, premises and collections of essential products. The challenge today is very concrete: enabling these associations to keep their doors open, everywhere across the country.

Motherhood is often presented as a moment of joy. But it can also become a source of economic, social or legal vulnerability. What does it reveal today about the persistent inequalities between women and men?

Motherhood remains an important and often joyful moment in the lives of many women. But it also very clearly exposes the inequalities that persist between women and men.

In our society, it is still predominantly women who bear the greater share of parental and domestic responsibilities. This translates into interrupted careers, lower incomes and a heavier mental load.

In other words, it is not motherhood itself that makes women vulnerable. It is the structural inequalities that mean this life moment still comes at a much higher cost for women than for men.

What are the most common situations faced by the mothers you support? And in your view, what structural changes would be needed so that becoming a mother no longer goes hand in hand with vulnerability?

The mothers we see are often confronted with a drop in income or job loss, involuntary part-time work, a lack of childcare solutions and isolation, especially after a separation.

For becoming a mother to no longer mean becoming vulnerable, we need to invest massively in a genuine public early childhood service, extend and better share parental leave, secure rights at the time of separation and strengthen protection against pregnancy-related discrimination.

Single-parent families are predominantly made up of mothers. Why do they remain particularly exposed to poverty in France?

Because these mothers often face several inequalities at once. They have on average lower incomes than men and, when they find themselves alone with children to support, the situation can very quickly become precarious.

Child support payments are sometimes insufficient or unpaid, and the organisation of work is still poorly adapted to the reality of these families.

As a result, many mothers bear almost entirely on their own the economic and organisational cost of parenthood. This is a reality that is still far too invisible in public debate.

Do you now speak of "economic violence" against women? How does it manifest itself, particularly in separation journeys?

Yes, and it is an increasingly recognised concept. Economic violence is one of the mechanisms that can keep women in a situation of dependency or vulnerability.

It can take different forms: control of money within the couple, inability to access resources, imposed debts, or the non-payment of child support after a separation.

In separation journeys, we very often see that women bear the bulk of the costs related to children and daily life. This imbalance can have very concrete and lasting consequences on their economic situation.

Have you seen new forms of solidarity among women emerge in recent years?

Yes, very clearly. We are seeing a multiplication of very concrete forms of solidarity: women's collectives, mutual support networks among mothers, local initiatives led by associations.

This solidarity is precious and has existed for a long time within feminist movements. But today, it sometimes takes new forms, particularly through social networks and a stronger voice for women in the public sphere.

Concretely, what do donations such as those made by talm on the occasion of March 8th enable? And beyond donating, how can everyone support women's rights on a daily basis?

These donations very concretely help fund the work of associations that support women every day. This can take the form of legal aid, emergency accommodation, social support or prevention initiatives.

Behind every donation, there are very concrete actions that become possible on the ground.

Beyond donating, everyone can also get involved in different ways alongside the Fondation des Femmes. This can mean taking part in our solidarity events, such as the Nuit des Relais (April 8th in Paris, June 4th in Bordeaux) or our solidarity concert Nos Voix pour Toutes, sharing our awareness campaigns or supporting the associations we work with.

What message would you like to share with young women becoming mothers today, in a sometimes uncertain social context?

We would like to tell them that they are not alone. Many associations, professionals and solidarity networks exist to support women at every stage of their lives.

We deeply believe that becoming a mother should never mean giving up one's autonomy, rights or aspirations. Our role at the Fondation des Femmes is precisely to support those who work to ensure that every woman can build her life freely, with or without children.

To find out more about the Fondation des Femmes, visit their website or on Instagram.

On March 8th 2026, by placing an order on talm.co, you too contribute to donating 1% of our digital revenue to the Foundation.

Thank you for your support.