Carolina Allen shares the op-ed she wrote for the Deseret News, Published May 10, 2025. https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/05/10/what-is-maternal-feminism/ including some parts that were not included in the published article.

“Creating life is not only about giving birth, however miraculous that truly is. And when we say ‘maternal,’ we are not only referring to women with children. We’re also speaking of a maternal way of being — a capacity to see and fill needs, to nurture, and to lead with fierce compassion. This includes women who mother communities, mentor youth, and tend to their neighbors — all intentional women who shape our culture for the better.”

“When we lift mothers, we fortify the foundation of society itself, recognizing that nurturing the next generation is not just a personal role but a sacred, collective calling.”

“More than 500 million women and girls today suffer from period poverty because of the natural rhythms of their uniquely female bodies. Daughters are perceived as intrinsically inferior to sons and denied basic educational opportunities. Many are excluded from participation not only in public life, but are also found voiceless within the family context.”

“At the same time, the commodification of female bodies persists with seven out of 10 victims of sex trafficking being women and girls. The Women's Stats Project, which tracks over 350 variables related to women's lives, confirms a powerful truth. The security and behavior of places we live are directly linked to the situation and safety of women within them.

These are not peripheral issues. Recognizing biological realities is key to creating real solutions. Solutions that uplift women and in turn strengthen entire societies.”

“This vision of feminism honors our differences without division; it honors our embodied reality as women, and embraces the spiritual depth that so often grounds our lives. No one is required to choose between public influence and private nurture. Rather, we can remain rooted in the belief that the home is the foundation of every society, and healing the world begins right there, around dinner tables and bedside prayers.”

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Carolina Allen is the founder and leader of Big Ocean Women, the international maternal feminist organization representing perspectives of faith, family, and motherhood throughout civil society. Carolina holds a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Utah with an emphasis in cultural religions and philosophy of science. Her inspirational and philosophical work has been presented at various international U.N. conferences. She is a native of Brazil, and a fluent trilingual. She and her husband Kawika are parents to 7 children. She is an avid soccer fan and had a brief career as a semi-professional player.

Carolina Allen discusses motherhood with Erica Komisar, LCSW and Madeline Wallin from FEFAF and Haro

“Free women. Free women from feeling terrorized and imprisoned by the narrative that unless they are a hard driving career woman, making lots of money competing with men out in the world, that they have no value. Free women, and give them permission to embrace instincts that they feel, but society doesn’t give them permission to feel.” - Erica Komisar

“How can we talk about the future of the world if we can’t talk about, and especially in a forum that’s supposed to be for women, [if] we are not using the word ‘mother’ or ‘family’ and we’re talking about the future?” - Carolina Allen

“We need to use the words more. We need to show motherhood. We need to talk about it so much more and use the correct words. … Nobody exists without the mother!” - Madeline Wallin

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A graduate of Georgetown and Columbia Universities and The New York Freudian Society, Erica is a psychological consultant bringing parenting and work/life workshops to clinics, schools, corporations, and childcare settings, including The Garden House School, Goldman Sachs, Shearman, and Sterling and SWFS Early Childhood Center.

Erica Komisar is a clinical social worker, psychoanalyst, parent coach, and author. With 40 years of experience in private practice, she works to alleviate pain in individuals who suffer from depression, anxiety, eating, and other compulsive disorders. By helping them live better lives and have more prosperous, more satisfying relationships, she assists them in achieving their personal and professional goals and living up to their potential.

Erica is also the author of the book Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters and has appeared on major media networks such as CBS, ABC, FOX, and NPR. She regularly contributes to the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Daily News, and FOX 5 NY. She is a Contributing Editor to the Institute for Family Studies. Her second book, Chicken Little The Sky Isn’t Falling: Raising Resilient Adolescents in the New Age of Anxiety was released in 2021. Her upcoming book, guiding parents through divorcing healthily, will be released in 2025. She lives in New York City with her husband, optometrist, and social entrepreneur Dr. Jordan Kassalow, with whom she has three teenage and young adult children.

Madeleine Wallin is General Secretary of the European Federation of Parents and Caregivers at Home (FEFAF) as well as the International Coordinator and Board Member for Haro: she previously served as President of both organizations. In her work at FEFAF and Haro, she advocates freedom of choice and equality for parents in Swedish family politics and wants to raise awareness about children's needs and the importance of motherhood. She has been interviewed by and written articles for many magazines, newspapers, and international media including the Wall Street Journal and the BBC. She is a mother of five children between 22 and 36 years of age. She lives in Hyssna, in the countryside close to Gothenburg in Sweden with her husband. Together they founded Malwa Forest AB, a business that manufactures and sells small forestry machines. Madeline is currently one of the owners and a member of the board.

Carolina Allen is the founder and leader of Big Ocean Women, the international maternal feminist organization representing perspectives of faith, family, and motherhood throughout civil society. Carolina holds a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Utah with an emphasis in cultural religions and philosophy of science. Her inspirational and philosophical work has been presented at various international U.N. conferences. She is a native of Brazil, and a fluent trilingual. She and her husband Kawika are parents to 7 children. She is an avid soccer fan and had a brief career as a semi-professional player.

Shannon is joined by Big Ocean Women members Diane and Alina Fisher to discuss promoting life culture in the womb, the home, and our ecological environment.

The WAVE that Diane and Alina run throws baby showers for women who have unplanned pregnancies.

Connect with us at our Virtual Wave Meeting. Find out more at bigoceanwomen.org

“Some people believe motherhood starts when you have the baby. Motherhood starts when you get pregnant.” - Shannon Russell

“Something that I hope is something we give is no judgment and more love. I hope that’s what they feel and that we can give to each other regardless. Whoever we are, wherever we are.” - Diane Fisher

“I believe the genius and the secret of motherhood is other mothers. We need each other. Women need each other. And it's so important to both see and connect with those who are doing the same thing.” - Alina Fisher

“Your ability to nurture life within you is something that should be honored in and of itself.” - Alina Fisher

“As we reach out to each other and give support, we are enough. We are enough together. And the whole world, the planet, depends on mothers who understand who they are and are willing to support others, other mothers to become, and that's a powerful thing.” - Diane Fisher

“Do we value that incredible power to create? Do we understand that motherhood is a unique and sacred place of power? And do we act like that ourselves? Do we treat other women that way? How do we treat other children? The biggest change comes in our hearts, that culture of how we talk and treat each other. And I think that would be the biggest difference.” - Diane Fisher

“Motherhood is a sacred journey. It's a challenging journey. It's a journey full of joy. I wouldn't trade it for anything and I would encourage myself and each one of us to find ways to encourage, inspire, lift the mothers close to us and everywhere we find them, to make the world a better place.” - Diane Fisher

Diane Fisher is a mother of 8 children, professional educator, studied in the Middle East and lived in South America. Passionate about motherhood and family.

Currently seeking to share ways to pass on identity and belonging through family stories in a fledgling instagram @FamilyStoriesMatter. She loves nature, hiking, children's books, and dark chocolate. Alina Fisher is a lover of life and of Him who gives it. She has traveled and lived among many different cultures and enjoys discovering the similarities present in the hopes and hardships that we all face. Inspired by living in remote villages in India and Nepal, she aspires to be a traveling humanitarian nurse and is currently completing her Bachelor's in Nursing. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and is the happy mom of two kids and counting. She strives to fill her time with great literature, great music, and association with great women.

Shannon Russell treasures her roles as a wife and mother, finding that the journey of learning and growing alongside her family is the most rewarding experience of her life. At her core, Shannon is passionate about helping others. Whether it be as a real estate agent guiding her clients to one of their most significant investments – their homes, or volunteering at the Columbus Center supporting refugees in learning English and become assimilated in the United States, or creating nonprofits focused on educating youth, she loves serving those around her and is committed to making a positive impact in her community and supporting human rights for all. Shannon loves connecting with women from diverse backgrounds and perspectives through Big Ocean Women where women are empowered to generate solutions that enable them to live a life of joy and abundance. Her favorite pastimes are playing pickleball, board games, hiking, anything that puts her in nature, and being a beach bum.