Mum stereotyping

Norah Casey, Lucy Kennedy and Mags Casey at the launch for the 2019 Mum of the Year Awards

Sixty-five per cent of mothers in Ireland have felt stereotyped because of being a mother with 1 in 10 (10 per cent) admitting to feeling stereotyped all the time. This new research was published to mark our wonderful Mum of the Year Awards, on which we’re working with Beko. If you want to nominate your mum or a mum you know in the awards – and we really hope you do – please click here.

The research revealed that when it comes to caring for their children, 7 in 10 (70 per cent) of mothers feel a stronger sense of responsibility than their partner, with only 1 in 3 (33 per cent) perceiving an equal sense of responsibility with their other half. Women (24 per cent) were also found to be more likely than men (10%) to say that they spend the majority of their day with their children, with over half of mothers (55 per cent) saying that they spend at least half of their day with the children when compared with over 1 in 4 (28 per cent) of fathers.

When asked about which well-known mother they deem to be most inspirational, cervical cancer campaigner, Vicky Phelan (33 per cent) topped the list for mothers in Ireland, surpassing former first lady, Michelle Obama (30 per cent) and broadcaster and TV presenter, Miriam O’Callaghan (16 per cent). Actor and activist, Angelina Jolie (6 per cent) also featured, along with TV presenter and businesswoman, Kathryn Thomas (5%) and businesswoman, publisher and broadcaster Norah Casey (4 per cent) as top ‘mum-spiration’.