Mother and child iconography has evolved from ancient, symbolic representations of divinity and fertility—such as Isis and Horus—to the idealized, formal "Madonna and Child" in early Christian art. The earliest images go back almost 10 millenia to civilisations like Catalhoyuk, Uruk & Eridu.
The best known iconography is the virgin & child. This has arguably led to the expectations we have of what a mother should be. More & more we have contradictory expectations of motherhood today. We are ambivalent, possibly in part due to the "womens lib" movement. Today's women have to juggle various social roles, being an independent woman, a partner, a mother and a worker. There is an inherent tension in womens devotion to their children & their need for self fulfillment. There is also the constant necessity for women to go out to work & earn.
There is also the equality dimension between men & women, which has improved, but is by no means widespread. Women disproportionately handle unpaid care work and part-time roles. Significant gender pay gaps persist, particularly for part-time workers, and workplace inequality remains a long-term issue. In late 2024, 71.8% of women aged 16+ were in employment. Women are predominantly employed in the health and social work sector (76% of workers are women), education (76% of teachers), and wholesale and retail. This is a waste of talent & skills. Women are capable of far more, but are still unable to access better jobs because of the demands of childcare & the patriarchy which still exists.
How do we change this? For a start we need to value mother/parent hood & childrearing far more. We also need to ensure that the childrearing is more equally shared by both parents, whatever sex they are. Some men are far more involved now, but there is still a higher expectation on women to put themselves last & be more caring.
Until we recognise that a child needs both male & female carers & role models we will be failing our children. Girls need role models of how to be a woman & how to relate to men. Boys need role models of how to be a man & relate to women. It isn't rocket science & the role models don't necessarily have to be the biological parents.
Parenting is a skill that needs to be learnt. Currently it's a skill that many parents don't feel that they know enough about. They need support, encouragement & knowledge. Well brought up, balanced children are our future. We ignore that & we will pay a societal price.
