Australia the second-best place in the world to be a mum

By Amanda Pitcher

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

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Australia has been ranked the second-best country in the world to be a mum by international organisation Save the Children in their State of the World's Mothers 2011 report.

The "Mothers' Index" is based on a number of indicators of women and children's health and wellbeing. It links access to education, economic opportunities and good healthcare services to the likelihood a mother and child will have a happy and healthy life.

Save the Children said the top 10 countries to be a mum are Norway, Australia, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Trip Advisor’s top 10 destinations for 2011

Afghanistan is the worst country in the world to be a mum, according to the report, after Niger, Chad, Guinea-Bissau, Yemen, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Sudan, Eritrea and Equatorial Guinea.

The US came in at 28 on the list of 160 nations, due mainly to the mortality rate among mothers, which is one in 4800 — one of the highest in the developed world. In Italy, for example, the maternal mortality rate is less than one in 25,000, and in Ireland it is one in 47,600. The US's maternity leave policies also put it well behind other Western nations.

"While the situation in the US needs to improve, mothers in the developing world are facing far greater risks to their own health and that of their children," Save the Children's newborn and child survival campaign chief, Mary Beth Powers, said in a media release.

"The shortage of skilled birth attendants and challenges in accessing birth control means that women in countries at the bottom of the list face the most pregnancies and the most risky birth situations, resulting in newborn and maternal deaths."

Save the Children has called on countries to invest in front-line health workers to reduce the high maternal death rate in some of the world's poorest nations.

In countries where only a small percentage of births are attended by skilled health professionals, women had a higher chance of dying during or soon after child birth. Fifteen percent of births in Afghanistan are attended, and the country has a one in eight mortality rate among women during or shortly after labour. In Ethiopia, only 6 percent of births are attended by a health professional.

The State of the World's Mothers 2011 report ranked 160 countries, including 43 developed and 117 developing nations.

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User comments

Australia might be the 2nd best place to be a mum but in turn it is also probably the 2nd worst place to be a white, working, hetrosexual, childless(thank god) couple. That is because we have to prop up these welfare grabbing mums by being taxed into oblivion by our draconian taxation laws and paid maternity leave.

I dont think Australia is that flash for mums. They have just changed the single parent pension so you cant get it if you have a child over 8.. so what happens if you get married, have children, you are happy being a SAHM then your husband dies or leaves you, you are then in complete poverty. You have to try and find a job that suits school hours, what do you do during school holidays? Hard enough if you have ONE child, but what if you have 3 or 4? How do you survive, how do you keep getting jobs when you have to give them up each school holidays? You cant leave a child under 13 home alone. You cant "quit" a job or you cant get back on the dole. Its a bloody nightmare. WISH I lived in Norway.

Of course we are , we live in one of the most beautiful , free , laid back countries in the world . Why would we NOT be happy.

We can't compare ourselves to anyone else because they're in different circumstances. You bring up women in Afghanistan, they are strict islamic's and have their beliefs so of course the situation would be different! You can talk about how safe birthing is here, but you haven't considered that there are no new schools being built, no new hospitals being erected, women turned away at hospitals to have babies, no infastracture to house all these babies that in 25 yrs time will all be looking to move out of home and into where? There's a housing crisis in Sydney where are you going to house all those children, and then school them when schools are already at full capacity? The RSPCA calls it animal cruelty to house 2 big dogs in a unit, but its ok to have 4 kids in a 2 bedder unit! Wake up...

I highly doubt that Australia is a better country to be a mum in than any of the Scandinavian countries, plus Iceland. Parental leave has JUST come in here in Australia and it is extremely limited still. In Sweden there is 15 MONTHS of paid parental leave, and mums and dads can divide this as they wish. The stay at home parent get 80% of their paycheck throughout that time. Once that period is over, and if you choose to go back to work (which is the common thing in Scandinavia) the workplace tends to be flexible to parents, allowing for time off without hassle when your child is sick etc. There are also suitable centres at primary schools where the children can play once school hours are over if the parents are unable to pick their kids up immediately after school. Kids love it as it gives them more time to simply play with their mates and they get fed an afternoon snack as well. So.. No. Australia being no 2 sounds like a laugh to me.

It is cleat that Australians don't know how good they have got it here. Yes, it is difficult being a mum, having to juggle jobs, housework, daycare, and their own health. But we still have it far easier here than many other places in the world. Most jobs here offer some sort of paid maternoty leave, although not perfect, we can give birth fairly safely under the public system with good trained doctors delivering our babies, we have access to daycare (which although expensive, allows us to work) and compared to many countries we also have very stable, relativly safe communities. As for Melinda Thompson, she had other options available to her, she chose the wrong option. And in this country custody is primarly given to mothers, not fathers, unless the mother is proven unfit, so get your facts right. Stop complaining and be thankful for what you have, because there are many in teh world that have far less.

I have not been a mum anywhere else but OZ. But you make the most of your situation dont you. I ahve been a stay at home mum for 7 years, we dont have much money. But my kids eat well are clothed and feel safe they enjoy life and so do I what more could you ask for. We are lucky and live in a lucky times. Mums of the past must have done it hard in Australia compared to know and all that is availbe and all the time saving devices we have.

whoever does these surveys must be mad..The 2nd beat place to be a mum,Most women that work have very little time for the kids,it cost a fortune for day care,and keep them clothed and fed It's a case of work eat and sleep.They must mean those that have never worked,have 3-4 kids get $1800 a week.and live in a rent free house,Have no intention of working and say they are not getting enough.If these are the boom times,Whats it going to be like,when the countries resorces boom is over?

as usual australians just don't know how good they have got it if you go by the comments above.

If you read the article, you'll notice that 160 countries were included in the report.