"in the new organisation of work... women's labour began to appear as a natural resource, available to all,
no less than the air we breathe or the water we drink."

Silivia Federici 2004

A very brief timeline of Feminisms's key material innovations, social impacts, and movements.

Title	Years	Key Focuses
1st Wave	1830's-1920's	The Popular Health Movement, Suffragettes
2nd Wave	1960's	Contraceptives, right to work, controversial literature
3rd Wave	1980's-1990's	Equal Pay, freedom from harassment
4th Wave	2010's-2020's	#metoo, Roe v. Wade overturn, 4B, femicide visibility, trad wives
5th Wave	2030's	Valuation of carework and Motherwork, liberation of men

no less available than the air we breathe

While often being referred to as 'unpaid labour' we don't have to look very far into our economy to see that the vast majority of the activities and responsiblities performed by Mothers are indeed being paid, just simply under circumstances where that labour is 'available to all' as part of the economy (even if that means through privatised business). These activities and responsiblities are performed as part of the professions: chef, nurse, cleaner, teacher, tutor, chauffeur, life coach, psychologist, psychic, occupational therapist, executive assistant, logistics and event manager, meal planner, personal trainer, translator, and many many more.

The activities and responsibilities of Motherwork are financially compensated in our economy, but not in the home, which feeds the economy.

Thus the problem is not with the valuation of the work - no one is arguing about "the most important job in the world" - but rather, the problem lies in the societal structures that surround, view, judge, and ultimately, put a 'value' upon these activities and responsiblities. This is the root of our injustice - the way we view Motherwork.

The words "ecology" and "economy" come from the same root,
the Greek 'oikos'
meaning "home" or "household":
i.e. the systems of relationship, the goods and services that keep us alive.

Robin Wall Kimmerer 2024

etomology

Rebranding Motherwork: Step 1

Critique capitalism by understanding who came up with it.

"[Adam Smith] didn't get his dinner only because the tradesmen served their own self-interests through trade.
Adam Smith got his dinner because his mother made sure it was on the table every evening."

Katrine Marçal 2012

Rebranding Motherwork: Step 2

Remember your Mother. Remember her life-giving gifts that let you be here reading this.
Remember that your mother is a model of motherhood and motherwork, and, does not have to be the only one.

Rebranding Motherwork: Step 3

Gather inspiration and wisdom. Consult indigenous models of economies outlined in The Maternal Gift Economy and The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer 2024.
Or, use this weird, wacky, wonderful tool and the global power of social media to peek through the windows of other women's lives (while keeping in mind that the algorithm rewards entertainment).

"The best sign of how victorious the feminist movement has been
[is that] women are free to renounce it without losing the freedom it has afforded them."

Darby Saxbe 2025

definitions for this point in time

Mother (noun)

a woman who invests significant care and resources into the growth and development of a dependent.

Mother (verb)

a flow of caretaking gifts, from the mother to the dependent, also known as The Maternal Gift Economy.

Motherhood (noun)

the state of being a Mother. The thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of the institution of motherhood. Positive connotations typically refer to the creativity of a woman accessing new layers of her power. Negative connotations typically refer to the oppression of societal structures like patriarchy.

Matrescence (noun)

the all-encompassing transitionary period of becoming a mother. Coined by Dana Raphael, mirroring the dramatic changes that occur during adolescence.

Motherwork (noun)

the highly specialised work of Mothers that, performed under any other circumstances, would constitute paid labour. Including responsibilities expected of: private chef, nurse, cleaner, teacher, chauffeur, executive assistant, life coach, psychologist, psychic, occupational therapist, logistics and event manager, meal planner, breastfeeder, personal trainer, translator, breadwinner, and many many more.