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)[1] 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.
It was established as a sister organisation to the Canadian Association for Research on Mothering (ARM) which was founded by Professor Andrea O'Reilly at York University.
In earlier years notable speakers have included Jackie Huggins, Maurillia Meehan Archived 13 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine and Gracelyn Smallwood.
In 2018, AMIRCI founder Dr Marie Porter was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her work as, "a researcher and advocate for the welfare of women and children".
[16][17] Conferences showcase cross-disciplinary work with topics spanning pregnancy and childbirth, human rights violations through child removal, lactation,[18] mothering disabled children,[19] the failures of family law and the welfare system,[20] 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.