The London based Save the Children aid agency placed Australia in the top ten countries in the world to be a mum.
The number 9 spot is shared with Belgium and is a nudge up for Australia from last year’s 10th position in Save the Children’s international survey. Shockingly the UK has polled at a paltry 25th position and the US has dropped to the number 30 spot.
The report compared 178 countries in terms of maternal health, child mortality, education and levels of women’s income and political status.
The focus of the report is to establish the true conditions faced by mothers in developing countries. The report, which was released on Tuesday, highlighted that while Australia placed within the top ten countries; Save the Children says Australia needs to increase the number of women in parliament.
With 31% MP positions in Australia held by women, compared to 41% in Finland, Australian spokesperson for Save the Children Dr Kate Worsley agreed with the findings in the report. Saying Australia should be serious about doing better in the areas of female employees’ income and female participation in the country’s politics.
In an interview with Australian Associated Press Worsley, who is a senior health advisor at the charity, said; “We need to look at women’s involvement in politics and that’s because it … means women’s and children’s issues are heard. Australia could do better in that area.”
Dr Worsley added that Australia could cling to their position in the 2015 report if government focus remains on reducing risks to pregnant women and children.
The number 1 spot in the survey went to Finland followed by Norway and Sweden came in at numbers one, two and three this year, with Iceland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain and Germany, placing ahead of Australia.
The worst places to be a mother were Somalia, which ranked last at 178, behind the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 177 and Mali and Niger — both placed at 175.
