Mommy vloggersSurrogate mothers, breast milk for sale online, responsible parenting courses, among other examples, prove that we live in a society where even what makes us human is subject to commodification.
Within the framework of Mother’s Day, I consider it essential to question ourselves more deeply the role we have assumed as mothers in this culture highly characterized by capitalism and hyper-consumerism. Forbes alone estimates that the market size of the so-called “New Momism” is $46 billion. This is how we define the commoditization of motherhood. It is not intended to moralize, but neither is it intended to romanticize the millions of dollars in profits generated by large corporations around this day. Maternalism has been exploited in this culture mainly characterized by capitalism and hyper-consumerism. Human purpose has been focused on maximizing income and accumulating profit. And the degree has been such that not only pornography, Tinder ads and neuromarketing exploit what makes us most human, but also what makes us mothers has become a product that can be marketed.
On the other hand, the commercialization of maternity is an opportunity for women to undertake, become independent and complement what they love most in their lives with their working lives. There is no doubt that these contemporary options build in favor of gender equality, particularly in reducing the wage gap, which in 2022 recorded an estimated 23% worldwide. This leads me to highlight the principles of women’s empowerment that advocate that it is essential to empower women to create stronger economies, to achieve development and sustainability objectives and thus also improve the quality of life of individuals, families and communities. .
Here it is worth asking the following questions: Do we commercialize our motherhood as a result of the inspiration of female empowerment? Or, do we commercialize motherhood as one of the ways out to survive in a capitalist economy? So, beyond questioning where the boundaries of ethics are drawn, let us inquire into what our society and our dominant culture really consider valuable, powerful or successful. Not only to understand our present, but to create a better future.