Feminism and occupational therapy: The embodied injustices of motherhood

Occupational therapy is uniquely positioned to disrupt the hegemonic gendered and political assumptions that give rise to inequities experienced by women, owing to the discipline’s historical influences and founding philosophies. This chapter will explore the complex and nuanced phenomenon of mothering via a critical discussion of feminisms, highlighting a variety of contextual influences to present a socially constructed understanding of motherhood. Furthermore, the chapter serves to illuminate the imperative need to fight injustices of gender and raise the social consciousness of the barriers to engagement in occupation by women who experience mental illness during the perinatal period. Findings are shared from a United Kingdom (UK) doctoral research study, yet the chapter has global relevance with an overview of feminist perspectives presented, in addition to international examples of occupational injustices faced by women. Global disparities are portrayed recognizing the intersectionality of marginalized women (Crenshaw, 1993) by virtue of a patriarchy society, gendered hierarchical conceptualizations and the social construction of power relations (Hancock, 2016). Thus, broadening our understanding of mothering occupations from a feminist perspective and promoting socially relevant and inclusive occupational therapy. Recommendations for practice, policy and education will be presented, supporting the need for wider collectivist and strategic actions (Bailliard et al., 2020; Malfitano et al., 2021), to address occupational injustices.