Mother’s Day is often marked by celebrations and tributes, but behind these moments lie stories of endurance that are rarely spoken about.
For many women, motherhood is shaped not only by love and care but also by the weight of generational expectations, inherited struggles and emotional resilience passed down through families and communities. Generational trauma, whether linked to migration, cultural pressures, illness or systemic barriers, often shapes the realities mothers must navigate while raising children and holding families together.
This Mother’s Day feature highlights voices that reflect these layered experiences of motherhood, showing how resilience, community and love help women confront personal battles and the lingering impact of generational struggles.
AWRC’s Coaction Hub and Training Manager, Aasifa Usmani, said, “Across the world, mothers bring enormous strength and enrich communities through the care, love and time they invest in nurturing children and sustaining families, often in quiet and unseen ways. We honour the resilience of mothers, especially those navigating racial injustice, displacement and inequality.”
Her remarks highlight how systemic inequalities and cultural pressures can create cycles of hardship that pass across generations. She stressed that care, safety and dignity must be recognised as fundamental rights. “Mothers should not have to struggle against hostile systems or structural barriers simply to keep their families safe and thriving,” she said, noting that many women supported by AWRC, particularly from BME communities and those with no recourse to public funds, face immigration and housing challenges while raising their children.
Aasifa also pointed to the complex realities that can perpetuate generational trauma, including pressures around fertility and harmful practices such as so-called honour-based abuse, forced marriage and female genital mutilation. Aasifa highlighted mother and campaigner Claire Throssell's words- “Children do not need two parents at any cost; they need safe, loving and responsible parents. Sometimes that means one.”
On behalf of AWRC she also reminded us impact of genocide and wars on mothers and added, “Care, safety and dignity are human rights, and every family deserves them.”
London-based project management professional Shruti Sharma said, “As a first-generation immigrant daughter, wife and mother, I deeply relate to the journey of being a first-time immigrant mum. Motherhood for me has been about resilience and rebuilding life far from home.” She recalled moving to the UK after marriage, leaving behind the support of a large joint family in India. “Like many immigrant women, I was adjusting to a new culture and searching for meaningful work while carrying the emotional weight of being far from home,” she said.
She added that community played a key role in helping her settle. “Volunteering at my local temple, working with a women’s charity and joining a running group helped me build connections and confidence. Over time, I built a home, career and community here.” Reflecting on the occasion, she said, “Mother’s Day reminds me of the quiet strength many mothers carry, especially those far from their roots.”
A mother of two, Annu Sachdeva said, “Life tested me in ways I never imagined. When I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, the pain and exhaustion were overwhelming, but giving up was never an option because my family depended on me.” She later faced another challenge when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “Fear was there, but so was determination. I wasn’t just fighting for myself, but for the people who call me Mum.”
Despite difficult treatments, she said her family became her greatest source of strength. “Their belief in me reminded me why I had to keep going. My journey has not just been about surviving illness, but about proving that love and resilience can carry you through the hardest battles.”
Amita Shukla, Founder of Aahna South Asian Therapy, said, “A mother’s love is powerful, selfless and enduring. She is often the emotional and psychological protector of the family, carrying many responsibilities with quiet strength.”
She noted that many South Asian mothers place others’ needs before their own, which can sometimes lead to exhaustion and a loss of personal identity. “Fulfilling family obligations can become overwhelming and affect a mother’s physical, mental and spiritual well-being,” she said.
Shukla added that small everyday gestures can make a difference. “Creating space for mothers to express their worries, listening without judgement and sharing responsibilities can help them feel supported, seen and heard. A mother gives her heart to the family, perhaps it’s time we start taking care of her heart as well.”
