HelpAge India Launches #MaaKaMahatva Campaign for Elderly Women

New Delhi, 12 May, 2026: HelpAge India has launched its nationwide initiative, #MaaKaMahatva, to mark Mother’s Day and highlight the challenges faced by ageing women, particularly neglect, loneliness, and lack of support in later years.

The campaign aims to encourage people to recognise the needs of elderly mothers and older women within their families and communities. As part of the initiative, HelpAge India is organising activities across its senior care homes in different states, involving schoolchildren, youth groups, and local communities. Programmes include storytelling sessions, cultural performances, poetry readings, games, music, painting activities, and inter-generational interactions focused on celebrating motherhood and elder care.

Mr. Rohit Prasad, CEO, HelpAge India, said, “For most of us, our mother is our first home, our first teacher, our strongest support - playing one of the most significant and enduring roles in our lives. Yet, this is also the relationship we most often take for granted. As time passes, vulnerabilities set in and the nurturer begins to need nurturing. Our 2023 ‘Women & Ageing’ research shows that 67% of older women continue in caregiving roles, while their own health, emotional and financial needs are quietly sidelined, often at the cost of their wellbeing. For those who are widowed or living alone, challenges multiply and loneliness becomes even more acute. Through #MaaKaMahatva, we want to remind society that caring for our mothers in later life is not just a tribute or an emotional sentiment but a shared responsibility to ensure dignity, care, and our presence in their advancing years.”

The campaign also features participation from public personalities including Soha Ali Khan, Adil Hussain, Sohaila Kapur, Saina Nehwal and Saba Pataudi, who shared personal reflections on motherhood as part of the initiative.

HelpAge India said the campaign aligns with its broader work in healthcare, livelihoods, age care, and empowerment initiatives focused on improving the lives of elderly people, particularly older women.

The organisation added that the initiative seeks to promote greater awareness around ageing and elder wellbeing while encouraging stronger family and community support systems for elderly women.