AMIRCI

The Australian Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (AMIRCI) is a national not-for-profit advocacy and research group (registered in the state of Queensland)[1] and consists of a network of scholars, writers, activists, policy makers, educators, artists and practitioners whose work explores the experience of women as mothers, mothering and motherhood.[2][3]

The organisation was founded in 2005 as the Association for Research on Mothering — Australia (ARM–A) by academic, Dr Marie Porter. It was established as a sister organisation to the Canadian Association for Research on Mothering (ARM) which was founded by Professor Andrea O'Reilly at York University.[2] In 2010 the name was changed to AMIRCI[4] to match the Canadian organisation's name change to MIRCI.[5] In Canada, MIRCI partnered with Demeter Press to produce a journal and books on motherhood.[6][7] MIRCI has since changed its name again to IAMAS — International Association of Maternal Action and Scholarship. Like its Canadian counterpart, AMIRCI is focused on developing a matricentric feminist movement[8][9] through furthering research into motherhood and advocacy for mothers through connection, collaboration and conversation with mothers and feminist professionals.[10]

Following the success of a first conference in 2001,[11] the organisation was formed and since 2005 has hosted bi-annual motherhood conferences chaired by a variety of female experts in their field and covering topics such as, “Motherhood in an Age of Neoliberalism and Individualisation”,[12] “Feminism for Mothers”, and, “Negotiating Competing Demands: 21st Century Motherhood”.[13] Recent keynote speakers have included Professor Andrea O'Reilly on regretful motherhood,[14] Dr Petra Bueskens[15] on the failure of the welfare system to support single mothers, Dr Renate Klein on the misogyny of surrogacy, and Professor Eva Cox on the need for a Universal Basic Income. In earlier years notable speakers have included Jackie Huggins, Maurillia Meehan and Gracelyn Smallwood. In 2018, AMIRCI founder Dr Marie Porter was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her work as, "a researcher and advocate for the welfare of women and children".[16][17]

Conferences showcase cross-disciplinary work with topics spanning pregnancy and childbirth, human rights violations through child removal, lactation,[18] mothering disabled children,[19] the failures of family law and the welfare system,[20] the impact of mothering on women's creative expression, representations of motherhood in literature and film and also feature performances and display of artwork such as a giant knitted placenta.[21] Leading Australian universities have hosted AMIRCI's conferences, including the University of Sydney,[22] RMIT, University of Melbourne,[23] University of Queensland, and La Trobe University in Melbourne.[24]