Motherhood rights and digital activism: An interview with Francesca Fiore and Sarah Malnerich, content creators of the account @mammadimerda

Abstract

The work of content creators and digital activists Francesca Fiore and Sarah Malnerich actively engages their followers to criticize both the outdated model of Italian maternalism and the current neoliberal discourse of intensive motherhood. Through their blog and Facebook and Instagram accounts, @mammadimerda, Fiore and Malnerich actively rebuke and critique the proliferation of media images of intensive motherhood as normative and successful. In particular, Fiore and Malnerich take issue with both the sacrificial mother model and the new momism neoliberal idea of the super-mom. They use the self-branding non-farcela (we can’t make it) motto as a feminist critique of gendered parental roles and systemic inequality in the workplace. In their stories and posts, they invite followers to share their experiences as ‘imperfect’ mothers, and they start and promote calls for action on better governmental policies for working mothers. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fiore and Malnerich actively mobilized their followers, creating petitions and social media campaigns aimed at pushing the government to re-open schools or provide financial aid in support of women’s employment. In this article, I interview Fiore and Malnerich about their digital activism on mothers and women’s rights in Italy, focusing on their campaigns on gender equality during the COVID-19 pandemic.