The obstacles facing young mothers running to be MEPs

“Just get on with it” was the advice New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern claims she received from the late Queen Elizabeth II on how to balance the responsibilities of motherhood with leading a nation.

Ardern called it “the best advice” she received on the topic, but then went on to resign halfway through her second term due to burnout and persistent misogynistic abuse. 

With so few young mothers like Ardern in political life, and so many of them sharing similar experiences to Ardern, perhaps it is a good moment to reflect on whether “getting on with it” is the best advice after all. Instead, as two young mothers currently campaigning for the European elections, we argue that it is finally time for our political system to “get on with it” so that women like us can lead, succeed, survive and thrive. 

The reality is that despite the bouquets and heartfelt cards that were sent this month for Mothering Sunday, mothers remain significantly underrepresented as political leaders.

One obvious reason for this is that the media and public perceptions can be harsh towards mothers in political life: How is it possible for a woman to both breastfeed and run the country? Won’t she be too tired to represent the nation internationally? Who is looking after her children while she is in all these meetings? Why should the taxpayer have to pay for their decision to have children while in office? 

The scrutiny around balancing family and political life, or their choice to have a family while in office is a double standard that male politicians rarely encounter.

Whereas for men, having a family can be a political advantage, for women it can seem yet another barrier to achieving their political goals. Is it any surprise so many successful female leaders do not have children or enter politics far later than their male peers? According to a study in the UK during the last decade, 45 percent of female MPs were childless compared to 28 percent of men. Furthermore, the average age of an MP’s eldest child when they first entered parliament was 12 years old for men versus 16 years old for women. 

These disparities are not just numbers; they reflect the systemic barriers that mothers face in political careers. For example, meetings are rarely scheduled with parents of young children in mind; debates and negotiations can run long into the night and often into the next day. Perhaps this is one reason why committees in the European Parliament are so dominated by men, particularly those dealing with 'money and power' like the foreign affairs, security and defence, tax and budgets committees. Seven out of 24 European Parliament committees are chaired by women; even the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality has a male chair. 

For MEPs, the absence of any official parental leave or the possibility to vote remotely means they must choose between caring for newborns or carrying out their mandates

For MEPs, the absence of any official parental leave or the possibility to vote remotely means they must choose between caring for newborns or carrying out their mandates. The structural hurdles that women encounter, also when it comes to motherhood in politics, are made worse by the rise of far-right and openly misogynistic political parties actively campaigning for women to return to traditional gender roles. Changing these structures can not only benefit young mothers, but lead to better negotiation outcomes and political decision-making overall.

The presence of mothers in political roles, with their unique perspective in policymaking, is not just a matter of representation; it’s a catalyst for the sort of compassionate, inclusive and innovative governance democratic societies sorely need. We are not here to essentialise mothers and say as a group they are more likely to support any specific policy. Like all politicians, we have our own set of values, positions and ideas. 

What is clear is that our lived experiences and understanding of societal needs are, just like those of other underrepresented groups, vital in shaping effective responses to voters’ biggest concerns. More than ever, voters are telling us they want leaders they can trust, who get things done, who listen to them and understand their realities, and who will fight for them and their families. Europeans are no longer as hopeful about the future as they were a decade ago – many are convinced they will not be better off than their parents’ generation. 

With the cost-of-living crisis disproportionately impacting women, particularly single mothers, we are uniquely placed to champion policies that provide tangible benefits to those struggling with the high costs of childcare, healthcare and education. For example, both our parties support free childcare and have supported the expansion of parental leave rights throughout the EU. 

Amid growing voter fears for the future, there is an urgency for policies that not only support families financially but also promote work-life balance, enabling parents to thrive both at home and in the workplace.

Ensuring more women in all their diversity are elected and represented at every level in politics is the best way to normalise female political leadership, increase the power women have in decision-making and demand the sorts of changes needed to ensure mothers feel valued both outside the family space as well as within.