Women's Media Nation | Social, political, and cultural issues relating to women

From Harm to Home: The Perfect Mother’s Day Present

posted by ChickSpeak
Monday, May 3, 2010 at 3:17pm CDT

A bouquet of flowers. A box of chocolates. A one-day gift certificate to the spa. These are the Mother’s Day presents we are accustomed to seeing advertised in glossy catalogues and in shop windows.

As commercialized as this holiday has become, few would argue that Mother’s Day still holds weight as one of the most sentimental events of the year. After all, who can forget the handmade crafts we made for our mothers as kindergartners? Or the more expensive gifts we tried to save up for later on?

Our mothers are there for us whenever we need them. They are our anchor in life, the support and cushion we can always count on when all else fails. As daughters, we may be so accustomed to depending on our mothers that we forget there are thousands, if not millions, of mothers around the world who are unable to provide even the most basic necessities for their children. These mothers lack the resources they need to nourish their families, much less take care of themselves.

This Mother’s Day, celebrate the beauty and strength of motherhood by helping out a mother in need.

The International Rescue Committee store offers an array of lifesaving selections, from family survival kits to prenatal care. While these gifts are symbolic, your donations will be matched dollar for dollar up to $25,000 to assist the IRC’s maternal health programs in Sierra Leone. After the $25,000 has been raised, any remaining donations will be used wherever need is greatest.

Ruth Fertig, the IRC’s online community builder, explains that any gifts purchased through the IRC store are symbolic because they are donations used to help programs worldwide. She adds, “Gift options like these are a way to forego the commercialization of Mother’s Day in order to truly support and celebrate mothers around the world. Our gifts will last longer and have a lot more impact than a bouquet of flowers.”

“By giving an IRC gift, you can honor the very special mother in your life while also making a difference in the lives of thousands of mothers and their families both here in the United States and in over forty countries around the world,” Fertig says.

When customers purchase a gift through the IRC store, they also have the option of dedicating the gift to anyone they like by sending a personalized printed card or e-card.

Arguably the most important part of this gift-giving process, however, is the mission behind the IRC store. The IRC fights gender-based violence on a daily basis, seeking to restore hope and humanity to war-torn lands where women and young girls are all too frequently the victims of assault, human trafficking, rape, genital mutilation, and harassment. IRC’s Gender-Based Violence Programs take place in a total of 17 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, including Nepal, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Thailand, and Uganda.

To make matters worse, these gender-based crimes are often targeted at underage girls. According to a fact sheet released by the IRC, no less than 40 percent of all reported sexual assaults are committed against girls aged 15 or younger. In addition to being harassed and assaulted, these women and girls must worry about contracting HIV/AIDS once they are subjected to such crimes. The IRC strives to combat these issues, from counseling men’s perception of women to making sure that women have access to the right treatment and medical care.

While a bouquet of roses may last only a week, a gift purchased through the IRC store is a donation that will change someone’s life forever. For more information or to make a donation, please visit From Harm to Home.

Katherine J. Chen is a sophomore English major at Princeton University pursuing a certificate in Creative Writing. She believes that any gift purchased through the IRC store, no matter how small, supersedes even the most luxurious and expensive Mother’s Day present.