U.S. Ranks 25th on Mother Appreciation

Just days ago, ForeignPolicy.com published an article called “Countries That Love Their Moms More Than America Does.”(click here for article) The piece claimed to be a “global guilt trip in honor of Mother's Day.”

Mother’s day, a worldwide recognition taking place on the second Sunday of every May, is a day to celebrate the role of the mother, many times the main caregiver, number one fan and prevalent emotional support.

International non-governmental organization The Save the Children Fund released their 2012 Mother’s Index Rankings listings of “more developed,” “less developed,” and “least developed” countries. The factors considered were Health Status, Educational Status, Economic Status, and Political Status of women in 2011-2012 to decide how much the citizens of countries actually loved their moms.

Best Places to be a Mother:

Tier I: More Developed Countries
1. Norway
2. Iceland
3. Sweden
4. New Zealand
5. Denmark

Tier II: Less Developed Countries
1. Cuba
2. Israel
3. Barbados
4. Argentina
5. Cyprus

Tier III:
1. Rwanda
2. Bhutan
3. Malawi
4. Lesotho
5. Uganda

Worst Places to be a Mother:

Tier I: More Developed Countries
1. Albania
2. Macedonia
3. Moldova
4. Bosnia and Herzegovina
5. Ukraine

Tier II: Less Developed Countries
1. Nigeria
2. Cote d’Ivoire
3. Pakistan
4. Papua New Guinea
5. India

Tier III:
1. Niger
2. Afghanistan
3. Yemen
4. Guinea-Bissau
5. Mali

United States ranked 25th in the list of more developed nations with a female life expectancy of 81 years, 18 years of expected formal schooling, 12 weeks of maternity leave benefits (2011), and 17% participation in national government.

Click Here for the entire list.

Regardless of U.S.rankings, the majority Suffolk students did not forget to show their appreciation, whether giving a bouquet of KABLOOM flowers, chocolates, or a simple thank you.

Film major Alexander Ortiz shares his thoughts on mother’s day and being away from his own this past Sunday, 13th of May. With Puerto Rican-Dominican roots, Ortiz has also understood the importance of family, and the respect the mother has maintained in the typical Latin American household.

“My father always told me that the mother is the most important and fundamental part of our lives,” he said, reiterating his father’s words, “we as a society [should] drop everything for one day to celebrate it, simply as a reminder for those who might overlook it on a daily basis.”

Ortiz is a a soon-to-be 2012 graduate who, with much anticipation, is looking forward to giving his mother possibly the greatest gift: walking across stage on graduation day, which he claims will “immediately trigger a sea of tears of joy that will have people around her questioning if something is seriously wrong.”

Most students were able to find a way to communicate with their mothers, although not in person, thanks to technological advancements and programs such as Skype and FaceTime, allowing for free video chatting through downloadable applications.

Originally from Niamey, Niger, GVT-International Affairs major and President of African Student Association Mohamed Djingo sends a message to his mom back home:

“I can't thank you enough, mom, for everything you have done, still do and will do for me. You are such an inspiration to me. I love you from the bottom of my heart.”