Mother’s Day exposes systemic gaps: fertility struggles, adoption barriers, and the myth of ‘natural’ motherhood
Original framing: “The joy and pain of Mother’s Day: it’s time we embraced fertility journeys in their multiplicity” — The Conversation - Global
The modern concept of 'infertility' as a medical problem emerged in the 20th century alongside the rise of eugenics, which framed certain bodies as 'unfit' for reproduction. Adoption systems were historically tied to colonialism (e.g., Stolen Generations in Australia, Native American boarding schools) and later to Cold War-era transnational adoptions. The 'natural motherhood' ideal was also weaponized against single mothers and queer people, as seen in 1950s-'60s forced adoptions in the West.
The Mother’s Day narrative reflects a Western obsession with biological motherhood as destiny, obscuring how colonial legacies, racial capitalism, and medical-industrial complexes shape fertility outcomes.
Indigenous and cross-cultural models reveal motherhood as a relational role, not a biological imperative, while historical analysis shows how adoption and infertility have been weaponized against marginalized groups. Scientific evidence underscores the need for systemic fixes—universal healthcare, economic support, and cultural reeducation—yet these are stymied by neoliberal frameworks that individualize struggle. The trickster’s lens exposes the absurdity of a holiday that celebrates mothers while failing those who deviate from the norm, demanding a reimagining of parenthood as a spectrum of valid paths. True systemic change requires dismantling the myth of 'natural' motherhood and replacing it with policies that honor the multiplicity of family forms, from communal Indigenous kinship to queer chosen families.