Observed annually on November 17th, International Solo Mothers By Choice Day (ISMBCD) celebrates solo mothers and families created through intentional parenthood and donor conception. The day was founded by a grassroots group of seven South Australian solo mothers by choice, in collaboration with advocacy and parenting organizations including Solo Mum Society.
The date commemorates November 17, 2016, when Hon Ian Hunter introduced the Statutes Amendment (Surrogacy Eligibility) Bill in the South Australian Parliament. The proposed legislation was guided by the principle that people seeking assisted reproductive treatment should not face discrimination based on sexual orientation, marital status, or religion.
ISMBCD also highlights the need for greater legal recognition and protection for solo-mother families. In Australia, family law continues to operate on the assumption that every child has two legal parents, despite single women having the right to access fertility treatment. This gap can leave solo mothers and their children without the same legal certainty provided to couples who use donor conception.
More than a celebration, International Solo Mothers By Choice Day is a call for family equality, reproductive justice, and legal reform. The day invites communities to recognize the experiences of solo mothers and support a future in which every family receives equal dignity, visibility, and protection.
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