Motherhood is the most beautiful vocation for women according to Hungarians
More than 80 percent of Hungarians think that motherhood is the most beautiful vocation for women, according to the latest representative survey by the Mária Kopp Institute for Demography and Families (KINCS) conducted on the occasion of Mother's Day. The survey also found that more than two-thirds of Hungarians believe that women do not have to give up their careers for motherhood and child-rearing, and almost as many believe that motherhood fulfills women.
For over a century, Mother's Day has been a major celebration in the life of Hungarian families. It was first celebrated in 1925, on the first Sunday in May, at the initiative of the Hungarian Red Cross Youth. On the occasion of this celebration of mothers, KINCS dedicated its latest research to this topic.
The overwhelming majority of Hungarians (83%) agree that motherhood is the most beautiful female vocation. Nine out of ten of those with children, and seven out of ten of those without, agree with this statement. This view is most shared by those living in rural areas and by elderly people.
80 per cent of people hold that motherhood and a career are compatible, although a difficult challenge. Single people and those with one child were most likely to agree with this statement.
The KINCS survey also found that 74 per cent believe that having a child is important for women to have a fulfilling life, while 67 percent agree with the statement that motherhood is fulfilling for women. Among those who agreed with these two statements, a higher proportion had children, were mainly from large families, elderly and/or living in rural towns.
More than two thirds (68%) of respondents think that a woman should not have to give up her career and life goals because of motherhood and child-rearing. This statement was agreed with in equal proportions by the elderly and the younger respondents.
61 per cent of respondents believe that mothers prioritize home and family over work and career. Only a quarter (26%) of women surveyed believe that women who decide not have more children when having a good job or profession are right to do so.
Among the various roles women play, motherhood is given first place, with 60 per cent of respondents saying that motherhood is the most important role in a woman's life. This is followed by roles related to other family relationships: spousal/partner (19%), then the role of caring for parents (13%), and only then follows professional work-related success. Among respondents with children, more (65%) thought that motherhood was the greatest achievement of being a woman as opposed to those without children (45%). Those with young children were the most likely to put motherhood first, with 71% thinking this way.
Overall, it can be concluded that the majority of Hungarians hold motherhood to be the most beautiful female vocation, which is ranked first among the various female roles. Supporting mothers and ensuring that women can fulfil their potential as both mothers and working women is a key part of Hungarian family policy. Therefore, in Hungary, a number of measures are in place to help mothers balance family and work.
God bless all mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers on 7 May, Mother's Day!
Methodology: The national representative survey was conducted over telephone among 1000 Hungarian adults between 22 and 31 March, 2023.
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