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)ASIC register search: Australian Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement Incorporated
Retrieved 14 August 2019 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. The organisation was founded in 2005 as the Association for Research on Mothering — Australia (ARM–A) by academic, Dr

Marie Porter Marie Porter (born 4 November 1939) is a researcher, writer and advocate for the welfare of women and children. She founded the Australian Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (AMIRCI) in 2001. In her role as founder and ...

. It was established as a sister organisation to the Canadian Association for Research on Mothering (ARM) which was founded by Professor

Andrea O'Reilly Andrea O'Reilly (born 1961) is a writer on women's issues and currently a Professor in the School of Women's Studies at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Career O'Reilly founded the Association for Research on Mothering (ARM) at York Un ...

York University York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...

. In 2010 the name was changed to AMIRCI to match the Canadian organisation's name change to

MIRCI The Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (MIRCI) is a Canadian scholarly research and advocacy group for mothering-motherhood. Background MIRCI identifies its mandate as:The central activities carried out by MIRCI are p ...

. In Canada, MIRCI partnered with

Demeter Press Demeter Press is a not-for-profit feminist academic publisher headquartered in Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2006 by Andrea O'Reilly, it focuses on the topic of motherhood and is partnered with the MIRCI, Motherhood Initiative for Research and Com ...

to produce a journal and books on motherhood. 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 through furthering research into motherhood and advocacy for mothers through connection, collaboration and conversation with mothers and feminist professionals. Following the success of a first conference in 2001, 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”, “Feminism for Mothers”, and, “Negotiating Competing Demands: 21st Century Motherhood”. Recent keynote speakers have included Professor

on regretful motherhood, Dr Petra Bueskens on the failure of the welfare system to support single mothers, Dr

Renate Klein Renate Klein (born 5 April 1945) is an Australian academic, writer, publisher, and feminist health activist. Klein was an associate professor in women's studies at Deakin University until her retirement in 2006, and with Dr Susan Hawthorne, she co ...

on the misogyny of surrogacy, and Professor Eva Cox on the need for a

Universal Basic Income Universal basic income (UBI) is a social welfare proposal in which all citizens of a given population regularly receive an unconditional transfer payment, that is, without a means test or need to work. It would be received independently of a ...

. In earlier years notable speakers have included

Jackie Huggins Jacqueline Gail "Jackie" Huggins (born 19 August 1956) is an Aboriginal Australian author, historian, academic and advocate for the rights of Indigenous Australians. She is a Bidjara (Warrego River), Bidjara/Pitjara, Birri Gubba and Juru people ...

, Maurillia Meehan and

Gracelyn Smallwood Gracelyn Smallwood (born 1951) is a professor of nursing and midwifery at Central Queensland University. She is an Aboriginal Australian of Biri people, Biri descent. Early life Smallwood was born in 1951 in Townsville, Queensland, of Biri d ...

. In 2018, AMIRCI founder Dr

was appointed a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for her work as, "a researcher and advocate for the welfare of women and children"''.'' Conferences showcase cross-disciplinary work with topics spanning pregnancy and childbirth, human rights violations through child removal,

lactation Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. The process naturally occurs with all sexually mature female mammals, although it may predate mammals. The proces ...

, mothering disabled children, the failures of family law and the welfare system, 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. Leading Australian universities have hosted AMIRCI's conferences, including the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

RMIT RMIT University, officially the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology,, section 4(b) is a public research university in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1887 by Francis Ormond, RMIT began as a night school offering classes in art, scienc ...

, University of Melbourne,

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

, and

La Trobe University La Trobe University is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its main campus is located in the suburb of Bundoora. The university was established in 1964, becoming the third university in the state of Victoria an ...

in Melbourne.

List of Conferences

2019 ''Beyond Mothering Myths:Motherhood in an Age of Neoliberalism and Individualisation,'' University of Sydney. 2017 ''A Feminism for Mothers'' ymposium Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Melbourne. 2016 ''Negotiating Competing Demands: 21st Century Motherhood,'' 8th Australian International Conference, RMIT University, Melbourne. 2014 ''Motherhood, Feminisms and the Future'' 7th Australian International Conference.RMIT University, Melbourne. 2011 ''Mothers at the Margins'' 6th biennial Australian International Conference.The University of Queensland, Brisbane. 2009 ''The Mother and History: Past and Present'' 5th biennial Australian International conference. The University of Queensland, Brisbane. 2007 ''The Mother: Images, Issues and Practices'' 4th biennial Australian International Conference. The University of Queensland, Brisbane. 2005 ''Representing and Theorising Maternal Subjectivities'' 3rdAustralian International Conference. The University of Queensland, Brisbane. 2002 ''Performing Motherhood: Ideology, Agency and Experience'' 2nd Australian International Conference. La Trobe University, Melbourne. 2001 ''Mothering:Power/ Oppression'' Inaugural biennial Australian International Conference.The University of Queensland, Brisbane.

Publications

* O'Reilly, A. (2016) ''Matricentric feminism: Theory, activism, and practice.'' Demeter Press. * * * *

References

{{Reflist, refs= 2005 establishments in Australia Women's organisations based in Australia Feminist organisations in Australia