Project introduction:  

Mother Matters (MoMs) aims to spread awareness of motherhood for women with disabilities among professionals and people with disabilities themselves. MoMs project will promote the competences/skills of the two groups to fill the communication and knowledge gap at the national and European levels. There are still many prejudices associated with the world of disability, especially when it comes to affection, sexuality or parenthood. Many women with disabilities are discouraged from motherhood and feel judged daily for their desire for autonomy. It is assumed that a woman with a disability is not able to have a career, a social and emotional life, get pregnant and raise children. Those who want to do so are left alone and look for professionals without specialized training. Article 23 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states: “States Parties shall take effective and appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities in all matters relating to marriage, family, parenthood and relationships and to put them on an equal footing with others.” The MoMs project aims to support a society that is sensitized to the issue and more culturally open-minded. The project also aims to educate people with disabilities and health and education professionals about the rights of people with disabilities through accessible materials. Become a part of our mission to raise awareness, break down barriers and promote best practices. Together, let’s create a future where motherhood is understood, celebrated and accessible for women with disabilities and their communities across Europe. 

LTTA:  

On 22-24 of October 2024, the MoMs project hosted an impactful training in Seville, Spain on sexuality and motherhood for women with disabilities. The MoMs partners were responsible for bringing women with disabilities and professionals from the field into the training program. During the training, the partners shared the project’s goals and aims, while professionals led specialized training sessions. This training created a safe, collaborative space where women with diverse disabilities connected with experts to explore their rights in sexuality and parenthood. We also heard inspiring stories from strong women with disabilities who have become mothers, offering fresh perspectives on empowerment and resilience. This training was a meaningful step toward advocating for inclusive rights in sexuality and motherhood.  

Below are three testimonials from participants from Cyprus who attended the training. These personal accounts provide insight into their experiences, challenges, and the impact of the training on both their professional and personal growth.  

1. Chryso Patsalidou, professional: 

My Experience at the MoMs Project Training: 

Attending the MoMs project training was a pivotal experience in my journey as a dietitian. 

I’m Chryso Patsalidou, a registered clinical dietitian focused on chronic pain management and supporting individuals with visible and invisible disabilities. 

While I’ve long been aware of the physical and mental challenges faced by this community, the MoMs training offered me an entirely new perspective on the social and cultural biases surrounding disability—especially in areas like love, sexuality, and parenthood. 

Through this initiative, I gained deeper insights into the unique struggles many women with disabilities encounter, often facing societal discouragement from pursuing autonomy or motherhood, and enduring criticism for their desire for independence. The workshops featured activities centered on storytelling and role-play that allowed us to explore daily emotions, helping us connect with the experiences of individuals who deal with these stigmas regularly. 

In addition to theoretical discussions, the training provided practical presentations where we worked collaboratively on strategies for healthcare and education professionals to offer more inclusive support. 

This experience not only strengthened my advocacy skills but also solidified my commitment to making my practice as inclusive and supportive as possible. 

It was truly transformative and will deeply influence my work with clients facing chronic pain and disabilities. 

Chryso Patsalidou 

Clinical Dietitian Nutritionist MSc, RD (UK) 

Master Practitioner in Eating Disorders & Obesity – NCfED 

Professional Diploma in Sports Nutrition – Barça Universitas 

2. Kyriaki Chrysostomou, professional 

I am Kyriaki Chrysostomou and I am a primary school teacher. I am currently doing my Master’s degree in Special and Integrated Education at the University of Cyprus. 

The training in Seville was a great opportunity for me, because I would have the chance to learn and interact with people with disabilities and not only from different countries! This part of disability interests me a lot because my parents are deaf! I know first hand the difficulties that every person with any form of disability faces on a daily basis! So, I took this opportunity to evaluate both my skills so far and to identify ways to become even better in this area!  

Through the experiences that mothers with disabilities told us about, what challenges they had, how they dealt with them, etc., even though I had my own personal experience in one aspect of disability, I learned things that I didn’t think could happen. The experiences of every woman and every person with a disability are important to be heard so that the world has knowledge of what they may be experiencing because society labels them as something “different” that they are not.  

This training served as a great example to follow to plan similar ones in the future!  

My week in Seville, with the other participants in the program, served as a means of socializing with new people, exploring new places, cultures, foods and drinks! I am a person who likes to explore, to learn about new things, cultures, let alone learn about a part that interests me so much. 

All of this experience, resulted in it acting as an education for me, gaining so much, leaving with incredible knowledge that no book, no school could offer! 

Kyriaki Chrysostomou 

3. Marilena Hadjiyianni, woman with invisible disability (multiple sclerosis)  

Participating in this learning, teaching and training activity was a unique opportunity for me, as a mother with disabilities. 

Getting to know and talk with other mothers who face same or similar everyday difficulties makes you feel understood. Seeing that professionals want to listen and learn from the mothers themselves gives hope for better days.  

The first day they presented us an overview of the project. We  introduced ourselves and shared our backgrounds. Then we participated in an  activity, using smiley post-its stating how we would feel at specific everyday incidents through a narrative of a story. This helped us relax, interact and get to know each other. We were also given a self-assessment tool, to asses our knowledge on the subject and give our review on the tool. Finally we had a discussion about our rights and information sources.   

The second day we were already familiar with the group so we got to mingle and share our thoughts with each other. Then we participated in two activities that helped us see beyond the sexuality and disability dichotomy. Each of us was given a photograph of one or more people, in different body shapes, clothes, age, sex and posture, and we had to decide if each picture was representing something sexual or not. 

The same day we were a given a beautiful night tour of the city and experienced traditional Flamenco dance and music.  

The last day was emotionally tense. Listening to mothers sharing their experience of pregnancy, labor and motherhood was the most amazing part of the whole LTTA. Getting to hear them talk, made me realise how important it is to share our experience so that other women going through similar experiences have somewhere to turn to in their hard times. Knowing that you are not the only one facing these difficulties and that other women have done it before, it gives you power and courage to do it and continue doing it. 

The whole trip and LTTA was a once in a lifetime experience. Not only you learn and get trained about a subject of your interest, you meet wonderful people, a new country, city and taste amazing food. I am thankful I was given this opportunity and thankful for all the people that worked to make it happen.  

Marilena Hadjiyianni