The Duchess of Edinburgh has become patron of the Mothers’ Union. Sophie visited the Christian organisation, which marks its 150th anniversary next year, in Chelmsford, Essex, on Thursday to hear about its English for Women project. The initiative aims to reduce the isolation of women in local communities who speak little or no English and experience language barriers in their everyday lives, after fleeing conflict or challenging situations.
The women-only sessions help with conversational English, building confidence and understanding British culture, through small topic-led discussions. Sophie is following in the footsteps of her late mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth II who was a long-time patron of the charity, as was the Queen Mother.
Its first royal patron was Queen Victoria. The union has some four million members across the world in 84 countries. Kathleen Snow, the union’s worldwide president, said: “The duchess will bring strength and inspiration for the work we all do. “We are especially grateful for Her Royal Highness’s experience and commitment to championing the most marginalised, particularly those who are impacted by violence and abuse in conflict, a cause we are passionate about, because conflict disproportionately affects women and children.
“As a woman-led movement, we also greatly welcome the duchess’s commitment to promoting the development of women into leadership.”. The union was founded in 1876 by Mary Sumner, the wife of a Winchester rector, to support mothers from all backgrounds as they brought up their children in the Christian faith.
In the past, it was criticised for being “fuddy-duddy” and too concerned with “tea-making and trivia”. But in recent years, it has worked to shake off its traditional image. In 2003, it called for young couples preparing to get married to take HIV tests, in a bid to stimulate debate about the disease as it sent out education packs to 30,000 people.
Three years earlier, the United Nations gave the union consultative status within its Economic and Social Council on issues such as poverty, gender equality, HIV and Aids. In 2011, the then-Mothers’ Union chief executive Reg Bailey carried out an independent review into the sexualisation of childhood on behalf of the coalition government.
The report Letting Children Be Children called on businesses and broadcasters to play their part in protecting young people from the “increasingly sexualised wallpaper” surrounding them, and recommended age ratings for music videos and a website to help parents raise complaints.
In 2016, Mothers’ Union representatives from around the world attended the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York to lobby governments and the UN on women’s economic empowerment. The union’s English for Women project links closely with Sophie’s support of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, a UN initiative which recognises the impact of conflict on women and girls, and also the positive role women play in conflict resolution building peace.
Judy Halls, a longtime Mothers’ Union member and volunteer session leader with English for Women, said: “The Mothers’ Union was created when women lacked equality, confidence, and opportunities. “We’ve stayed true to those principles, which is why English for Women aligns so closely with our values.”.
