Skip to Main Content
Art & Culture

What Christy Turlington Burns Learned From Motherhood—and How It Sparked a Movement

25 Jul '25
By The Shift

Image by Jody Rogac

25 Jul '25
By The Shift

Image by Jody Rogac

The Shift highlights women’s stories through the lens of impact. It hopes to contextualize history and inspire action.

C

Christy Turlington Burns is the Founder and President of Every Mother Counts. EMC has invested nearly 50 million to support awareness raising, community-led solutions, and advocacy for systems change to ensure access to quality and respectful maternity care throughout the pregnancy journey since 2010.

The Shift:

Who are three women that inspire you?

Christy:

Anna Malaika Tubbs

Jacinda Ardern

Michelle Browder

The Shift:

What is one defining moment in your career or life that empowered you to create change, and how has it shaped the path you’re on today?

Christy:

It wasn’t a single step or moment on my career path, but rather a culmination of many which prepared me to take what was a potentially life-threatening post-birth complication and a positive maternal healthcare experience when I became a mother that allowed me to recognize an opportunity to raise awareness and funds in support of community-based care solutions which can prevent maternal deaths and disabilities globally. This journey began over 21 years ago and led me to continue my education in public health, direct my first documentary film No Woman, No Cry, and then to the founding of the nonprofit Every Mother Counts which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this May.

Image by Inez & Vinoodh

 

_____

Christy Turlington Burns is honored as part of The Shift’s “90 Plus One” list, which recognizes influential women shaping contemporary culture. With Gloria Steinem featured on the inaugural print cover, the list pays homage to her 91 years of activism by highlighting a powerhouse community of women shifting culture.